Gehenna
by VampireQueenAkasha
Summary: The city slowly falls into decay. What had happened to that boy named Leland Vanhorn? What drove him to madness? Can he be saved by the only person who cares enough to save him? Rated M for language and violence. R&R plz.
1. Prologue

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish. **  
><strong>

"_Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_Ge·hen·na (g-hn) n._

_1. A place or state of torment or suffering._

_2. The abode of condemned souls; hell._

**Prologue**

_Metro City_

_"The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever."_

-Psalm Chapter 136:9

_I was always told that good exists in everyone. That no one is born evil; it's something that it taught to us, bred into our minds at a young age, through systematic abuse, or even through unfortunate circumstance. It is in this that we bring out the monster that slumbers deep within our souls. It is so…amazing, horrible to reach that point where you find this festering thing living inside of you. Funny thing is … it looks just like you. It has your face…your body…your eyes; a sleeping, restless monster. It walks and sleeps, eats and lives just as you do._

_It is horrible to fear the thing that you had once loved, to see the familiar and still fear the shadow behind it. Once the thing you love changes, you can never hope to bring it back. I never knew such fear until long ago when my own naivety ended my way of life. _

_I changed that day and that was when it touched me; the realization, the pain, the anger and the betrayal. I knew then at that day, that everyone has a monster. It waits beneath the surface of your skin, breathing, hungry to take over. I began to wonder after that … Will I ever be that girl again?_

_I was naive. So very naive. _

O_  
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A hand slowly, shakily begins to paint red on a rough, white wall. It is a graceful gesture, each brush stroke extracting, and then returning to paint more, dripping with the consistency of blood itself. A storm raged outside, and lightning flashed through the stained - glass windows, lighting the colors in a ghostly, eerie way. The hand it belonged to was a woman dressed in a black nightgown and robe and she was painting several red eyes on the wall. Her features were blank, almost devoid of every emotion. She continued to paint these frightening upside-down eyes on the living-room wall while a four - year old girl watched this from the doorway, terror in her eyes. A German Shepherd puppy stood at her side, whining softly, it ears flat against its head.

This was Nancy. Nancy Morello. Her mother, Sylvia Morello had been doing this for a long time and she hadn't slept in a while, even hours as far as the child could tell. It was like this task of painting the "scary eyes" was the most important thing in the world. She wished her father was still alive for him to stop her. When her mother did this stuff, she became scary.

"Mommy?" she said, quietly.

Sylvia halted for a moment and peered over at her daughter, or rather peered through her as if she wasn't even there. Her eyes were bloodshot and a bright green, flickering with a controlled madness that she seemed to be losing a hold on. "The sound ... " she whispered, her gray eyes as dark as pitch. "The sound ... I hear the sound. It shows me what I must do ... Through these eyes and the eyes of many ... It will show us ... the way."

Nancy flinched, as if she had been struck and took a step back. Her mother spoke scary things at night and she was doing it again. Nancy never heard the Sound like what her mother talked about, but it must have been important because her mother was always obsessed with it. She turned and walked away, shutting her ears as her mother began to laugh. It was a hollow sound, not at all amused, but it reminded the girl of evil. She had been brought up in a strong - enough religious household to know what evil was.

The sounds of her mother's raving grew louder as Nancy ran into her room and hid inside her closet. She reached up to a small chain connecting to a light switch, pulling it so that it bathed the tiny area with dim light. There was a scratching sound at the floor of the door and she opened it to let her puppy inside with her. She held the creature close for comfort and waited for her mother's fit to die down. Shivering against the cold and the thunder roaring outside, she peered at a small mirror across from her.

_"Nancy ... Don't feel bad ... She's going to be fine ... "_

The voice sometimes came to her whenever she had felt scared. Nancy didn't like it so much because there came a time when she felt that the voices weren't from the source of good; but she felt that it was all that she had sometimes. Whenever she would close her eyes, sometimes she would see the voice beside her in physical form. It looked like her and talked like her, but she knew that it wasn't. It was just a voice; a voice that came to help her feel a little less alone. It was a voice that had appeared when her father had died. She was only a baby when it had happened and yet despite that, she was afraid that she'd become scary, like her mother.

_"Go to sleep ... "_ the voice soothed. _"Tomorrow, we'll play … "_

Nancy curled herself into a fetal position and rested her body against the cold, wooden floor, shivering and attempting to blot out the sounds of the world around her. The storm continued to rage outside, pattering against the rooftops in an almost soothing rhythm.


	2. Part One

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish. **  
><strong>

"_Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part One**

_Metro City_

_"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."_

-Luke 18:16

A knife dug deep into the dirt, chunking away bits and pieces of earth. It belonged to a light - brown haired boy in blue jeans and denim jacket. He looked to be about 12 years old and his eyes were unusually dark for a child. A shape observed the crouching figure from the trees before approaching. The boy looked up cautiously and was staring directly at 12 year old Nancy Morello. She had aged since the beginning; her dark green eyes were filled with sadness and her raven-black hair was tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a red jacket and brown pants with boots.

The two didn't move for a moment and finally, the boy resumed his work of digging into the dirt with the knife, seeing the girl as no real threat to his own being. He sensed that the girl was still there watching him. Whatever she was doing, he wished that she would just leave; especially since he wasn't in the mood to deal with people right now. He wanted to be left alone.

"What are you doing?" she finally asked. Her voice was quiet and somewhat empty of emotion.

The boy scoffed quietly and continued to dig, almost as if she wasn't even there. "Nothing. What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

Nancy tilted her head before she walked toward the creek side. She observed the trickling water for a brief moment before tilting her head up toward the sky. She didn't look at the boy when she spoke her next words. "I want to be left alone, okay?"

The boy glared up at her, making his dark eyes seem even blacker than before. He didn't seem to like the idea of leaving his spot and knew that this strange girl was suggesting it. "So do I."

"Then go away."

The boy paused for two seconds and scowled angrily, holding the knife in a threatening gesture that didn't seem to suit him at all. "No! I've lived here longer than you." He pointed in the direction that he had seen her come from. "Why don't YOU go instead?"

The girl stared down at the knife with her sad eyes and a light smile touched her lips. It didn't match her gaze. "You like knives?"

"Yeah. So what?"

The boy continued digging into the dirt with a little more force, not even waiting for her to answer that. He sliced up an earthworm in the process, bits of chopped worm squishing between his fingers. Nancy could sense something bothering him by his actions, so she decided to attempt conversation.

"I'm Nancy," she said, "I live in the apartment building up there." She pointed toward a housing complex over the hillside. She noticed that he did not acknowledge and studied the massive slash in the dirt where he had stabbed into the ground. "Are you mad at the ground?"

The boy scoffed and she actually caught a smile touch his lips, but it was gone as quick as it had come. "No. I'm mad at my uncle."

"Why?"

"He makes me so mad sometimes ... He doesn't know when to listen to me." the boy snapped, clutching the knife handle so hard, his small knuckles went white. He stabbed the knife in deeper and Nancy could guess that he was trying to envision this uncle of his as the dirt. "He acts like he knows everything and treats me like a baby!"

"I bet it's not as bad as it seems; that's his way of caring I guess," Nancy said, smiling lightly, "You're lucky to have that. I don't even have an uncle." She paused and looked away, a heavier sadness creeping up into her green eyes again. "Or a mom or dad either ... "

The boy paused in what he was doing and raised his knife from the ground. He still sounded angry, though not as violent this time. He looked at her curiously. "What happened to them?"

"My mom was ... sick. I lost my dad when I was a baby, so I don't remember him much."

The boy stared at her for a moment, almost as if he could share a sense of her pain before he sighed and shook his head, standing up. He seemed to stare off into the distance toward something before looking at her a little less violently this time. "That sucks for you," he told her, folding his knife up. He slid it into his coat pocket and pulled out a rolled-up piece of candy. Nancy watched as he began to unwrap it before popping it into his mouth. "I have to go. I'm gonna be late for dinner."

Nancy smiled as he turned to go. "Hey, wait a minute! What's your name?"

The boy began to jog away from her, but not before calling over his shoulder. "It's Leland!"

So, his name was Leland, huh? At least she was sure that she could talk to him again now that she had a basic idea of who he was. Maybe they'd see each other in school, if they even went to the same one. Nancy had little friends, so an acquaintance was better than none at all.

O

Nancy had to pass through the metal detector again.

Lately, there had been talks of increasing violence in the city and for some reason; the teachers were concerned that the children would bring it into the school. Nancy wasn't quite sure why they would think that violence could come to her school. No one in this school had half a sense to do it anyway. They were all more into fist fighting than actually bringing in weapons and silly little jokes. It was mostly just mindless pranks and things like that; nothing real harmful here. She saw no real threat, but that was just on her part because most people here just left her alone. Maybe there was more playing out on the sidelines than what she actually saw.

"Morello!"

Nancy halted at the sight of her principal standing there in the hallways. He gestured with a single, beckoning finger. "I want to see you in my office, now."

Nancy frowned with confusion and wandered into his office. She was rarely ever called in to see him because she never got into much trouble. She sat down in a chair across from his desk and waited for him to sit down. Once the door was shut, he took his spot. He was a pudgy man with a receding hairline and beady little blue eyes. He reminded her of an angry-looking pig. His clothes were almost always covered with some different kind of stain every day. He never addressed her as Nancy, but always by her last name. Then again, he did that with all the children here like he was some kind of drill sergeant.

"Morello, your mother called me this morning and she told me that she wants you to take the bus today," he told her, "She's going to be late getting home from work because she has to work a little later today."

Nancy looked as if she had been smashed in the face. Going home alone with her foster father there never ended well for her. They would get into arguments of how she was living under their roof and have to live by their rules. The Boyd family, they were called. They adopted her into their home when she was 8 and she had been living with them for 4 years now. She often wished that her mother wasn't in the hospital or her father wasn't dead.

_She's not my mother._

The principal's face hardened into a wrinkled scowl. "Morello? Did you hear me?"

"Yes ... "

The principal gestured for her to leave. "Alright, now get to your class before you're late." he told her.

Nancy nodded and she stood up, walking out of the office. She waited until most of the other children pushed their way passed her before she started to walk to her next class. Just then, a familiar voice froze her where she stood.

"Hey!"

Nancy looked up and noticed Leland standing by the doorway of a classroom, cradling a text book under one arm. She was surprised to see him standing there because even though her classes changed every week, she had never seen him in any of them before.

He tilted his head. "I guess you got my class today, huh?"

Nancy smiled. "Yeah, I guess."

Leland leaned forward. "Between you and me, this class blows," he told her, "I finally-" He paused and noticed the principal stick his meaty head out from the doorway. "Oh, pork chop looks like he's gonna blow a vein."

"Vanhorn! Morello! Get to class!" the principal ordered.

Leland arched a brow and looked at her with intrigue. "Morello? You're not related to the 1892 Morello crime family are you?"

Nancy laughed softly and shook her head. Although funny, it was untrue. That would have made her life more interesting than she wanted. "No."

Leland smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Huh. That's too bad. It woulda been kinda cool knowing a celebrity." He was joking, that was obvious because he laughed quietly. He stared at her and noticed by her perplexed expression that she could have taken it seriously. "I'm kidding."

The two entered the classroom and too seats apart from one another in the middle row. Leland gave her a quick glance when he noticed that she began to open her notebook, revealing various kinds of drawings and doodles on the paper.

"Like to draw, huh?" he said.

"Yeah."

"That's cool."

The two said nothing else for the rest of the class.

When lunch time came around, Nancy found a spot on the bleachers in the gymnasium to eat her bagged lunch. She didn't know why, but no one came to talk to her. They didn't really pick on her either, just a few harmless jeers here and there. She was just left alone, almost like she didn't even exist. The only time that she was ever really acknowledged was on the school bus. She would sit in the back of the bus and the kids would take turns singing a song about how she was going to the funny farm.

Her apartment wasn't too far away, so she only had to endure it for a few minutes.

_"Feeling bad again, huh?"_

Nancy closed her eyes, hearing the voice again. When she opened them, she saw it sitting beside her. An image of her, wearing the same typical grunge clothes, the same hair and style. Except the image's face was mask-like with no expression at all and her hands were wearing black gloves. The only thing that could be seen through the mask face was a single, almost inhuman slit green eye peering out; it was the only part of its face that showed any kind of movement whatsoever.

"What do you want?" Nancy asked, softly, so no one would hear. She looked around to be sure that no one saw her talking to herself.

The demon chuckled and leaned closer to her. She felt a chill with its presence, but that was impossible. It wasn't really there. Nancy always called it a demon because it came when she would have bad thoughts. In reality, she had no real clue what it was and why she saw it when no one else did. _"I'm here to help you, you know that."_

Nancy frowned quietly, her eyes darting around to make perfectly sure that no one was paying attention. "You only come when I feel bad."

The demon shrugged its shoulders and leaned forward, its words practically bursting out of it like a cold, bitter air. _"I can come by whenever I please, Nancy. Whenever I want to and you know it. I just choose to show up when you're feeling like shit."_

The horrible curse word coming out of its lips with her voice didn't sound right. It sounded terrible to hear, like she didn't want to see herself capable of talking like that, even if the creature wasn't really there. Nancy winced slightly before she looked down across the cafeteria where Leland was sitting; a small circular table. He seemed to be alone as well, but was smiling casually and eating a sandwich as if he didn't have a care in the world. Nancy envied him because he was so carefree.

The demon chuckled quietly and tilted its head, almost in deep thought. _"Aw … he's such a handsome boy!"_

O

When school ended, Nancy glumly walked to the front of the building to wait for everyone to pile into the bus before she made any moves herself. Leland walked up to her and tilted his head at her miffed expression. He uttered a quick laugh and shook his head.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked. "You look like you have to use the bathroom."

Nancy sighed and raised a brow at the antics going on in the bus. "It's nothing. I just hate riding the bus home. The, uh…lesser primates tend to have too much fun with me on board … "

Leland chuckled quietly, watching a few kids push each other near one of the window seat. The bus driver shouted angrily at them, but it failed to stop the antics. "Yeah, I don't blame you."

A black Mercedes pulled up in front of them along the side of the curb and the window rolled down, revealing the slightly wrinkled features of Malcolm Vanhorn, Leland's uncle. Nancy could guess that he knew the strange-looking man right away when Leland started to move toward it. Well, at least he had someone picking him up instead of having to ride a bus full of morons.

"Well, maybe I'll see you later then." he told her, giving her the "peace sign".

Nancy mimicked the gesture in a half - hearted way.

Malcolm's eyes landed on the girl standing there. They were kind and gentle, but Nancy knew that he had seen something terrible. His eyes also seemed heavy with sadness, a hidden pain that he kept hidden from others. He didn't look like the terrible uncle Leland had spoke of by the creek.

"Hello, who's this, Leland?" he asked.

"Nancy Morello," Leland answered, tossing his backpack into the back seat.

Malcolm smiled at her and pressed a finger to his lips thoughtfully before he gestured to her. "Morello … You wouldn't by any chance be related to Giovanni Morello - the bank owner of Morello Trust, would you?"

Nancy nodded her head dumbly. She felt tightness in her throat at the mention of the name and attempted to keep her voice from squeaking. "Yes sir. He was my father."

Something gleamed in his eyes and he looked thoughtful for the longest time before he nodded and gestured with one hand. "Hop in. I'll give you a ride home."

Nancy didn't like that idea and she backed away like a skittish doe. She was told never to take rides with strangers and she had only known Leland for a short time, never his uncle. Malcolm seemed to read the cautious look on her face because he chuckled quietly and made himself look as assuring as possible.

"Don't worry. I knew your father when he was alive, Nancy. There are a few things that you need to know about him. I am willing to tell you."

Nancy looked at Leland for even a glimmer of reassurance; he shrugged his shoulders and weakly smiled, uncertain of what his uncle was doing. Finally, she decided that it had to be better than dealing with the bus and she slid into the backseat.

They passed through the downtown area where Malcolm turned at a corner, avoiding a pedestrian by mere inches. He glanced in the rear view mirror to Leland and Nancy in the back seat, watching as they talked about school and other child things. He wanted to tell the child everything about her father, but she was still so very young. Such things that should be kept in the dark had to stay there for the time being. He took a deep inhale before he spoke and when he did, Nancy looked up.

"Nancy, I know it must be difficult for you to hear this," he told the girl, "Your father ... he was a good man who tried to do good things for his people. It is just terrible to see him gone the way he was. I can't imagine how that must feel for a child."

Leland rolled his eyes. There was an aggressive tone to his voice again. "Yeah, neither can I ... "

Malcolm stared at him sternly through the rear view mirror. "Leland ... " he warned.

Nancy gave Leland a look, but addressed Malcolm. "Mr. Vanhorn, what did my father do?"

Malcolm didn't reply, but instead, pulled up in front of the apartment complex. He smiled back at her and scribbled something down on a piece of paper before handing it to her. He gave her a reassuring smile. Nancy didn't feel like he was the enemy anymore. Not as much anyway. Maybe he was even one of those people who had lost as much as she had. Those who lost a lot in life could usually tell one another apart and spot each other in a crowd. It was a strange kind of connection.

"Thank you." she told him.

He gave her a nod and gestured once. "I hope to see you again. Maybe we can talk some more later."

Nancy climbed out of the car, nearly squashing Leland in the process. "Sure ... " She looked back at Leland. "See you tomorrow?"

Leland nodded and he gave her a strange look. Maybe he was trying to figure out why his uncle had taken such a shine to her all of a sudden and could not. He waited for a few minutes before nodding his head.

"Yeah … Sure."

Nancy watched as the Mercedes drove down the street and disappeared around the corner. Could she be sure that she had a friend now? She couldn't really tell with the situation and all. It was difficult to judge just where it would go now with the Vanhorn's.

O

"I thought I told you to take the bus home!"

Nancy calmly walked to the kitchen to grab a snack while her foster father, Hayden Boyd stormed through the house beginning his usual, "parental" fit. He was usually standing at the corner of the street to wait for her bus to come, but she hadn't gotten off of it which made him angry. He stood across the countertop while she quietly removed a loaf of bread from the shelves in one hand and a jar of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff in the other.

"I got a ride home from a friend," Nancy answered.

Hayden blinked in disbelief, as if he couldn't conceive of the idea of Nancy having any friends. "And who would that be?" he asked.

"Malcolm Vanhorn."

Nancy began to spread some peanut butter on the bread. Hayden didn't answer to that but she could still feel his eyes on her. When she paused and looked up, he was staring down at her with an expression of shock and disbelief.

"What?" he said, and it burst out of him like an explosion.

"Malcolm Vanhorn," Nancy repeated, "He was really nice about it too." She picked up her sandwich and walked away to her room, leaving her foster father standing there with a dumbfounded look on his face.

Nancy took a seat near the window and stared down to the streets below. She heaved a tired sigh and began to munch on her sandwich as she started on her homework.

As the night descended, Nancy started to watch some cartoons on TV and a strange crashing sound from outside made her frown and turn the volume down on the television. She peered out of her window to the darkened streets below, dimly lit by the street lights. There were two men standing across from her street in the middle of a loud argument. They were wearing hooded jackets and tattered blue jeans, but she couldn't see their faces.

Then, the taller one shoved the other guy into a garbage can and Nancy was shocked to see a wicked brawl take place in the streets between the two. They began to punch, kick and tear into each other like wild animals. She had a feeling that maybe she should have called the cops and just as she started to go for the phone in the hallway, a painful scream filled the air and she looked down to notice that the taller man was victorious; the smaller man was lying on the street, blood covering his bruised and tattered face. He looked like he was dead because he wasn't moving. At all.

Nancy covered her mouth with one hand and tried not to scream herself.

The tall thug bent down to survey the damages before he straightened up, turned and looked directly at the girl in the window. Nancy yelped and ducked out of sight for a few moments, breathing heavily. She waited for a while before peering through the window again. He was still standing there, still watching her as if to say "yeah, I still see you". From a distance, she could make out strange features of his face. There were peculiar metal pieces wedged in his mouth.

The man smirked at her and brought a finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture before he turned and picked the fallen thug from the street by his leg, dragging him into the nearby alley and into the darkness.

Nancy shuddered. "I'm scared ... " she whispered to herself.

The voice appeared from somewhere in the room. _"You should be ... "_

O

Nancy poured herself a bowl of cereal that morning, quietly listening to Bren and Hayden talking. She was sitting at the kitchen table and absently moving an orange back and forth.

Hayden poured himself a cup of coffee before sticking his head in the refrigerator. Bren called from the bathroom. "Nancy! Did you leave the faucet running again?"

"No!" Nancy called, resuming eating her cereal.

Hayden removed his bagged lunch from the fridge and placed it onto the counter top. He shut the fridge door and gave Nancy a stern look. "Nancy, you know perfectly well you can't leave the faucet running," he chided, "We run out of water and the bill ends up shooting sky high and we would never know it until later on." He called to his wife, rapping his nails against the door of the refrigerator. "No juice, honey?"

"NO!" Bren called from the bathroom. She walked into the kitchen and gave Nancy a gently chiding look that was somewhat more forgiving than Hayden's ever could be. She was a middle - aged woman with curly dark hair and brown eyes. She was dressed in a fuzzy pink bath robe and blue slippers. Nancy often laughed at how much of a color - clash it was. "Nancy, now I thought I told you to tighten the faucet. I always do it and Hayden always remembers ... "

Nancy tensed and spoke louder this time. "I didn't leave it running!"

Hayden scowled down at her now. "That voice!" he barked, slapping his hand on the counter top, "While you live under this roof, you will respect us as your parents and treat us as such!"

Nancy lowered her eyes and mumbled quietly. "Sorry ... "

She continued picking through her cereal in silence before looking up at Bren.

"May I please be excused?"

After breakfast, Nancy and Leland walked through the woods together, talking about what she had seen last night with the two thugs. Leland made three little scratches in the trees with his pocket knife as they talked, almost like some kind of marker. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and looked back at her.

"Did you call the cops?" he asked.

Nancy nodded and jumped onto a rocky surface. "Yeah, but they never found the guys."

Leland frowned and reached into his pocket, taking out a piece of taffy. "Weird," he said. He offered her a piece. "Want some?"

Nancy nodded and took it. "Thanks." she said. She slowly opened the piece and popped it into her mouth. When she continued to talk, her words were so distorted and muffled it became difficult to understand her. "Leland, do you think something's going on in this city?"

He laughed and stared at her, clueless. "What?"

Nancy chewed a few times before she held up a finger for him to wait before swallowing. "Do you think something's going on in this city?" she repeated, "Like ... I don't know … Sometimes I get a weird, creepy feeling that I'm being watched; all the time and especially at night."

Leland shook his head and shrugged one shoulder. "I haven't seen anything like that. Not that I've noticed anyway," he replied, "Uncle Malcolm talks about bad things a lot, but I've never seen it myself. It's typical gang stuff. Every city has it."

Nancy sighed and shook her head. "I don't know ... "

Leland started to say something, but Nancy didn't hear it; his voice was practically droned out of her mind as she could hear a soft, rattling sound around her. She glanced over her shoulder and between the trees behind her, Nancy could have sworn that she saw a black shadow dart between them.

Leland took a spot beside the creek waters and began poking a stick and swirling it around. "I guess you don't like your parents, huh?"

Nancy knew who he was talking about. "They're not my parents."

"You know what I mean."

Nancy shrugged her shoulders. "It's not that I don't like them … too much," she said, "It's just ... Sometimes I feel like they'd rather have another kid, you know? I think they just keep me around for the paycheck they get every week by the government."

Leland laughed quietly and kicked at a water strider dancing on the surface of the water, crushing it with his foot. "Do they pay you? Like, an allowance or something?"

"Sure. I get an allowance every week when it comes in."

Leland let loose a bark of laughter now and nodded. "Wow! I guess that's a way to get rid of their guilt! They pay their adopted child so they won't feel too horrible."

Nancy chuckled a little. "Yeah, I guess!"

The two laughed together for a moment before Leland stood up and tossed the stick over a brush of tall grass.

"Ow!" a voice shouted from behind the grass.

Leland and Nancy's eyes widened in surprise as a shape emerged from the grass; a buck-toothed man dressed in bum clothes and covered in dirt. He wasn't wearing any shoes, but instead, had duck tape wrapped around his feet. He was rubbing his head with one hand and gripping the broken stick remains in the other, glaring with beady gray eyes at the two children. They backed up slowly as he started to advance through the grass.

"You little brats!" he bellowed, "When I get a hold of you, this stick won't be the only broken thing here!"

"Oh crap! Run!" Leland cried.

The two turned tail and sprinted away as the bum struggled to follow them. Instead, he tripped and fell flat into the water with a loud, comical splash and curse. Leland and Nancy laughed as he collapsed and struggled to regain his footing. They emerged from the woods and into the city streets, hurrying around a corner and stopping to catch their breath. Leland grinned broadly at her and leaned against the wall.

"Whew! Wow, you're pretty fast!" he said.

Nancy grinned back, pressing her hands into her knees to keep her balance. "Yeah, you are too."

Leland peered around the corner carefully, noticing that the bum hadn't even tried following them. "Old buck tooth isn't following."

Nancy took a few more deep breaths. "Good. That was freaky!"

Leland gestured with one hand. "Hey, why don't you come over to my house? I was gonna have lunch. It's gotta be better than that house of yours." He grinned and laughed at his joke, but Nancy really didn't. He stared at her skeptically. "I'm kidding."

Nancy wasn't too sure if she should on the off chance that her foster parents would have a cow. That was the last thing she needed to deal with at the moment. But Leland looked very insistent about it. She sighed and shook her head.

"I should probably tell Bren and Hayden first." she advised.

Leland shrugged. "Call them."

Nancy smiled at that and nodded. "Okay."

O

The house was nice.

Nancy had never seen such a big house before. She lived in an apartment all her life and knew her foster folks struggled with money, but the Vanhorn's looked like they had it all. The house was clean and well-kept. Nancy was almost jealous.

"Uncle!" Leland hollered through the house, "I'm home!"

It was funny thinking of a twelve-year old boy having quite a sense of power in his voice as this kid, but Nancy didn't mind it and kind of respected it. She looked up toward the staircase to Malcolm Vanhorn walking down wearing a casual black shirt and pants. He smiled warmly when he saw her standing there. The smile made her stomach turn into knots because she wasn't used to being treated so kindly from a complete stranger.

"Nancy! Hello again! This is quite a surprise!" he said. He looked down at Leland, expectantly. "I didn't expect company."

Leland rolled his eyes before speaking calmly. "She was just here for lunch, Uncle Malcolm..."

Nancy didn't want to feel like she was imposing on them and she started to back away toward the door. "Uh, it's okay," she said, "I don't want to be a bother."

Malcolm smiled and waved his hand. "No, not at all! Come in and I'll make you some hot chocolate!"

Nancy removed her shoes and followed the two Vanhorn's into their kitchen. It wasn't a kitchen; it was bigger than any kitchen should be. It looked to be even larger than her entire apartment. Leland just laughed at her dumbfounded expression.

"Never seen a kitchen before?" he joked.

She gave him a skeptical look that read, "Not funny".

Malcolm began to prepare some water on the stove. "So, Nancy; how is school?" he asked.

Nancy shrugged her shoulders and wriggled into her chair. "It's okay, I guess."

"Ah. It can be difficult, but don't lose hope," Malcolm told her, smiling. He sensed that she had nothing bull ill-feelings about her time at school from the look of her expression. "Things have a way of turning around."

Nancy took a spot at the table across from Leland. He smirked at her and she got the idea before speaking up. "Leland hit a dirty old guy on the head with a stick."

Malcolm frowned sternly down at Leland. "What?"

"I didn't see him," Leland said, shrugging, "Nancy and I were sitting by the creek talking and I just tossed it. The guy was a bonehead. He shouldn't have been sleeping there."

Malcolm sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. "Oh Leland, what are we going to do with you?"

He just smiled and straightened in his chair, almost as if he was proud of himself. After all, the bum could have been a dirty pervert for all they knew. Malcolm looked at Nancy now, handing her a cup of hot chocolate. She quietly thanked him for the offering and looked over at Leland, who was also offered a cup of hot chocolate.

"Nancy, perhaps you should call your parents?" he suggested, "They will worry, I'm sure."

Nancy nodded, not even interjecting that they weren't her parents as she usually did; Malcolm pointed out where the phone was in the living room. Leland listened as she dialed the numbers and he could hear a pause before she spoke up. "Hi, Bren ... it's Nancy. Yeah ... I'm at the Vanhorn's house ... No, I'm fine; it's not a big deal ... Yeah, Mr. Vanhorn's giving me lunch ... No, I'll be home soon ... " A pause and Leland could hear tenseness in her voice, like she was getting angry but trying to retrain it. "I know ... Yeah, I know ... Okay. I will ... Bye."

A click and Nancy entered the kitchen. Malcolm looked at her expectantly. "Well?" he said.

"Bren's upset because I didn't call her first, but she's glad I did either way," Nancy told them.

Malcolm looked pained for a moment. He certainly hated to cause any kind of trouble to anyone; he gave a small sigh before he opened the fridge and began to take out a leftover ham wrapped in plastic and sitting in a black cooking pot. Nancy's eyes widened at the offering and he smiled at her, reading the hungry look in her eyes.

"I take it you like ham?"

Nancy grinned. "Yes sir."

O

Later that evening, Nancy was waiting for Bren to pick her up from the Vanhorn's house. Leland and Nancy both sat in front of the TV, eating popcorn and talking while a movie was playing, but they paid little attention to it. Malcolm was in the kitchen doing dishes and he occasionally glanced out through the window into the darkness of his back yard, sensing something watching the house, but never seeing a thing. He frowned suspiciously and resumed his work, still glancing up every now and again.

"Do you ever see weird stuff at night?"

That caught Malcolm's attention and he paused to listen in on what Nancy was saying. What exactly did Nancy see at night?

Leland laughed quietly. "Like what?"

"Sometimes I hear things in my apartment. Sometimes they follow me. Scary things. They talk to me a lot. I don't like it."

"You hear voices or something?"

Nancy didn't answer for a while. When she did, her voice was quiet. "Do you believe in evil?"

Leland didn't reply to that.

Finally, there came a heavy knock at the front door and Leland got up from the couch. He answered it and there stood Bren, Nancy's foster mother. She looked like she was soaked to the bone and somewhat irritated, wearing a formal black rain coat and boots. It had started to rain heavily outside and was literally drenching her. Leland could only guess that she was irritated with having to drive out here to pick Nancy up, especially in the rain. He stared up at her harshly and she frowned at him before looking up.

"Nancy?" she called.

Nancy stood up and walked over to her, giving Leland a sad grimace. Malcolm approached as well from the kitchen. He smiled cheerfully at the Boyd woman and offered a hand to shake it; she did not return the gesture and his smile disappeared when she stared at him with frustration. She didn't look very happy at all.

"I hope she wasn't a problem." she said.

"Not at all, Mrs. Boyd," he replied, "Nancy was very well behaved. She truly is a treasure."

Bren seemed uncomfortable to hear that or maybe just uncomfortable because a stranger had pointed that out to her. She shifted on her heels before removing a fold-up umbrella from her pocket and holding it over Nancy's head. "Come on. Let's go home." She looked at Malcolm. "Thank you. My daughter has too much of a free spirit sometimes."

Nancy frowned up at her, her eyes a bitter cloud. "I'm not your daughter." Instead of standing under the umbrella to be shielded from getting wet, she walked to the car in the rain, not caring if she was soaked.

Bren looked back at her and sighed. She looked somewhat upset by that retort. "Yeah, I know ... "

O

Bren was quiet for most of the trip as they drove home that night. Nancy continued to watch her, but she said nothing and just stared at the street ahead. She didn't even yell, which seemed unlike her. Nancy sighed and leaned back, watching the passing lights and buildings that went by. She thought of counting them to ease the tension, but Bren suddenly spoke.

"You're not to see that boy again."

Nancy looked up, features slack with disbelief. "What?"

Bren looked at her sternly through the mirror. "I don't want you to see the Vanhorn's again, Nancy. They are a case." She tore her eyes away and her voice changed. She sounded uneasy, maybe even unsure. "Yeah … those two are a very special case."

Nancy was angry now. She wasn't about to sit there and be quiet this time. Leland was the one friend she finally had and Bren wouldn't let her see him; for something as silly as her own personal fears? That didn't seem right at all. "So?" she snapped, "Who isn't?"

"Don't use that tone with me!" Bren told her, sternly, glaring back at her sharply for a second, "Malcolm Vanhorn lost his wife and child because of the stuff he was in! You're not going to get involved with ANY OF THAT!"

"That's not fair! He's not a bad person!"

"Life's unfair!"

Nancy leaned back in her seat and bit her lip, trying not to cry. Her voice betrayed her very need to do so. "I hate you..."

The words were so bitter, so cold that Bren almost shivered. She sighed and spoke calmly, giving in only the slightest. "Be that as it may, Nancy," she continued, quietly, "You're in our house and in our care, so you must obey our rules. I know you don't think we care, but we do. Honestly, Hayden and I couldn't have a child. You are our hope. Try to understand that we don't want you to hate us. We want you to think of us as your parents. I promise you I'm only doing this for you own good."

Nancy didn't answer to that, instead, she sounded pained with her next words. "Can I at least call him when we get home?"

Bren was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking. Then, she smiled slightly and nodded. "Okay."

When they got home, Nancy didn't even acknowledge Hayden in the kitchen and ran to her room. Hayden looked at his wife questionably as if to say "what now". Bren sighed and shook her head before going to take the phone.

"Not now ... " she told her husband.

Nancy called Leland and as soon as Bren left her room, she told the boy what had happened. Leland didn't sound very happy with that at all.

"We're not allowed to play together anymore," she said, "Bren says I have to come straight home after school."

Leland scoffed. _"Why? What do they have against me and my uncle?"_

"Bren says you're a 'case'," Nancy explained, looking toward her closed door to make sure no one was listening in on her conversation, "I don't know what that even means, but she thinks that if I stay with you, something bad might happen to me."

_"What a load of horse crap!" _Leland snapped, shuffling around in the background.

"_Leland, watch your mouth!" _Malcolm called, from somewhere in the background.

Leland was quiet as the sounds of footsteps passed in the background, so Nancy figured that he was waiting for his uncle to walk away. She continued.

"I know. That's what I said."

There was a laugh. _"Yeah, but more girly, I bet."_

Nancy giggled. "Shut up."

Leland was quiet for a moment. Nancy could hear another rustling sound in the background and she could guess that he was getting ready for bed. _"Don't worry about it, Nancy. I'll think of a way. There's no way that those jerks can tell me what I can and can't do."_

"Yeah. I mean, they can't keep us from seeing each other at school. That's just dumb." Nancy agreed.

_"Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out, I promise ... I'm not just some dumb kid."_

Nancy smiled. She felt a little better now. "Okay."

Leland paused for a moment. _"You know, you're the first real friend I've had in a while."_

"I've never had any." Nancy said, chuckling. She didn't mean to sound as bitter as she did.

_"Well look at that. We have more in common than we thought."_ Leland joked.

Nancy heard a knock at her door and she knew that was the signal to wrap it up. "Okay, I have to go to bed. I'll see you later, Leland."

_"Yeah, see ya'."_

Nancy pressed the END button on the phone and looked up at the sight of the demon sitting there calmly in her rocking chair, casually swinging back and forth without a sound to be heard. Nancy frowned over at the illusion.

"What do you want?" she asked.

The demon lounged casually, looking at her. _"You're angry with them, aren't you?"_

Nancy sighed and closed her eyes, leaning back and resting her head on her pillow. "So what? I can't do anything. I'm just a kid."

A dark shadow quickly passed over her face and she opened her eyes. They immediately went wide in shock. The demon was now standing directly over her from the edge of the bed post, the mask-like face inches from her own. Nancy wished that it would go away.

_"I think you can do more, you're just afraid to." _the demon sneered.

Nancy rolled over onto her side to ignore the creature. "I'm not listening."

There was a cold laugh. _"But you always do ... "_

Nancy ignored the thing and closed her eyes. But she couldn't sleep well with the strange sounds coming from outside. The sounds were terrifying and resembled animal snarls. She was sure that something moved on the rooftops. It sounded like something with sharp claws.

"_Don't you just love the sound of nature?"_ the demon laughed.

It wouldn't go away.

Nancy cried out in terror when she heard a knock at her window; but when she got a good enough look at the crouched shape on the fire escape, she noticed that it was Leland standing there with a smile on his face. He waved a single hand.

Nancy blinked in disbelief and walked up to the window. She pushed it open and gave the boy a funny look.

"Leland, what the heck?" she exclaimed, in a hushed whisper, "What are you..." She trailed off and peered over the boy's shoulder, seeing how much of a climb he had to make to reach her apartment. "How'd you even get up here?"

He grinned at her and climbed into her room, knocking a few books over as he attempted to scale down her dresser in the process.

"I like to climb stuff." he told her.

Nancy frowned. "What about your uncle?" she asked, "Wouldn't he worry?"

"Uncle Malcolm takes special medicine to help him sleep," Leland told her, "A herd of elephants in a china shop couldn't wake him up."

Nancy chuckled quietly. "I guess you're not scared of the people outside then, huh?"

"Nope." Leland answered. He climbed into her bed and bounced a little bit on it, looking around the homely stare of the room. "Wow, this room's smaller than my bathroom at home!"

Nancy made a face; she wasn't particularly pleased with the comment. "I have to sleep."

Leland nodded and stopped bouncing. He tilted his head at her and sat down at the foot of the bed for a moment. "Maybe I can stay here tonight and leave in the morning."

Nancy laughed briefly in disbelief. "Why would you do that?"

"It's quieter here," Leland answered, shrugging his shoulders, "There's a lot of noise where I live."

Nancy sighed. "Okay, but if Bren sees you, I'll never be allowed to leave my room."

Leland laughed. "She'll probably home school you too; be your principal or something."

Nancy grimaced and made a face at the thought. "No thanks. I see her too much as it is."

The two laughed and Nancy climbed into bed. The two were laying side-by-side, looking up at Nancy's ceiling; there were tiny pasted on glow - in - the - dark stars and planet shapes overhead. It was rather soothing.

"Wow, you have stars on your ceiling," Leland remarked.

Nancy was quiet for a moment. "Leland?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you see things sometimes?"

Leland furrowed his brow and propped his head up on his elbow, looking down at her in confusion. "Like what?"

Nancy shrugged her shoulders. "Like ... " She paused for a moment. "Bad things. Really bad things; the kind of things that you only see in your dreams, but you're still awake." She looked up at him, into the gray eyes watching her. "Know what I mean?"

Leland looked thoughtful for a moment. "What do these things do?"

Nancy was quiet and her voice carried a very frightened pitch to it. "They try to hurt me ... "

Leland stared down at her for a long time. Finally, rested on his side and Nancy rolled over to look at him. He looked at her gravely in the darkness of the room. It felt strangely warm all of a sudden for the girl; she felt a sense of peace and it was a strange feeling for her to have. Nancy smiled at him and he returned the smile.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you," he told her, "I promise. And when they find you, you hit them. You hit them hard and don't stop."

"What if it doesn't work?" Nancy asked softly.

"Then you hit back even harder."

Nancy was able to sleep that night and it was the deepest she had ever slept in her life.


	3. Part Two

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish.

_"Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part Two**

_Metro City_

_Several years later..._

_"There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."_

-Psalm 91:10, 11

_Things had changed. _

_I thought that for a second change was a good thing; that it could bring some good._

_I was wrong._

O

_"Good morning, Metro City, this is Sarah Brenton. As you know, Tony Rhodes walks the city's streets giving us inside information of the causes of the ever increasing waves of violence. We now go to you Tony."_

_"Thank you, Sarah. I stand witness to the beauty of our city as it slowly fades away into a dark, hollow shell of what it once was. There is a shadow that has fallen over our beloved city, though no one knows what has caused it or why it has happened. Last week, I took a walk by the Central Metro Station and I found the homeless taking refuge inside. Most places like this have become a safe haven for drugs, the homeless and violence; though none can say if it will eventually take over the entire city. Though what can the police do about it? Only time will tell."_

_"Thank you Tony. This is City News."_

Nancy and Leland were standing in the field of Metro City University, exchanging a cigarette while the other students were playing lacrosse. They weren't in their required gym uniforms but instead Leland was wearing his denim jacket and blue jeans while Nancy was wearing a hooded sweater and blue jeans.

In the years that had passed for the two of them, Leland had slight facial hair lining his jaw and chin and slightly messy short hair. Nancy's black hair was cut at the shoulders and she looked much more attractive.

"So what do you think?" Leland asked, gesturing across the field, "What about Randall?"

Nancy peered over at the collection of jocks who were running the track. She chuckled softly and gave Leland a look. "Totally gay," she said.

He snickered and took a deep inhale of his cigarette before passing it to her. "Okay, what else?" he asked.

"He spends a lot of time working out, using laxatives and getting high on meth," Nancy continued, "He wants to be the skinniest asshole alive."

Leland grinned at her. "You're really good at that."

Nancy chuckled. "Yeah, I know," she said, "It gets creepy sometimes."

Leland nodded and murmured softly before he tossed the cigarette into the grass and crushed it beneath his shoe. He picked up his lacrosse stick and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, but you have a gift, Nancy," he pointed out, "It's not good to let it go to waste." He grinned at her now. "Besides, graduation day is in only a few more weeks. We only have to put up with this monkey trash for a little bit longer."

The instructor gestured to them. "Vanhorn! Morello! Fall in!"

Leland gave her a smile. "I got your back."

Nancy nodded. "Good."

The two walked to separate ends of the team and as soon as the instructor blew the whistle, the two teams collided for the puck. Leland darted off in another direction and pushed several of the opposing team boys out of Nancy's way.

Suddenly, there was a voice in his head.

_"Leland ... What are you doing?"_

He froze in the field and looked around for the source of the voice. Everything around him cut off like the muting of a television set. He didn't hear the sounds of the players around him and instead, looked out toward the streets, noticing a shadow watching him from across the way; whoever it was, they were wearing a black hooded jacket. Leland furrowed his brow and squinted to see the shape better, but he couldn't. Whoever this was watched him.

_"Leland ... "_

When a Metro City bus passed the shadowed figure, it was suddenly gone. Leland pinched the bridge of his nose when he suddenly felt a twinge of pain shoot through his forehead. He didn't see Randall charge through the field and knock Nancy clear off of her feet. The surprised sounds and laughter made him whirl and see the scene. He noticed Randall laughing down at Nancy and seeing that and the horrible pain in his forehead, he suddenly saw red.

Leland charged with his lacrosse stick like a rampaging bull and slammed his weight into the slightly smaller man, knocking him clear off of his feet. That caused everyone to go nuts; there were cheers and even shocked cries as Leland punched Randall in the mouth over and over again. Nancy cried out in shock and horror as well.

"Leland, stop it!" she shouted, "Don't!"

The instructor had to tear Leland off of Randall whose nose was gushing with blood and he was crying like a wounded child. Leland grinned wickedly down at him and gave Nancy a particularly eerie grin as well. His knuckles were covered in blood.

"He started it." he sneered.

The instructor glared angrily at Leland. "Vanhorn, get to the dean's office. Now!"

Leland cheerfully and sarcastically sauntered off of the field with Nancy in tow while the instructor and several other stunned students gathered a still - crying Randall off of the ground to tend to his bloody mouth.

O

Nancy waited outside of Dean Schneider's office and listened to the angry shouting from the older man. Leland wasn't giving any rebuttal to it whatsoever until the very end right after she was horrified to hear that Leland was going to be expelled.

"It's a shame to see this happen, Vanhorn!" Schneider snapped, "But we do NOT tolerate this at our school."

"That's fine by me! I don't want to waste another moment in this pathetic excuse for an institution!" Leland shouted back.

Nancy stepped back as Leland emerged from the office. He smiled at her as if nothing was wrong this time. She walked away and he followed her, fitting his jacket back on. "Hey, Nancy, wasn't that just incredible?" he said, "Get your camera. Don't you have it? This is wall worthy. Come on!"

She stopped and whirled on him. "Was it all fucking worth it to get expelled?" she demanded, "That stupid shit was an asshole! He wasn't worth it!"

Leland grinned at her and he clenched a fist tightly to his side. There was an excited gleam in his eyes that she had never seen before and it made her somewhat uncomfortable to see it. "It felt good taking him down!"

Nancy rolled her eyes. "You're unbelievable, you know that?" she snapped, walking out into the parking lot, "What's Malcolm going to say when he finds out? He pays for your tuition!"

Leland paused for a moment and gave her a partially annoyed frown. "Oops."

Nancy pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You're telling him."

"I know."

"I'm glad you know!"

When they arrived at Malcolm's home, he was in the middle of preparing a salad. He smiled when they walked into the kitchen.

"Welcome!" he greeted, "It's nice to see the two of you staying out of trouble." He returned his gaze to the salad bowl, continuing to run his hands through the mix of lettuce and other vegetables to mix it together nicely. "What brings you here at such an early hour?"

Nancy elbowed Leland in the ribs and he gave her a look before he sighed. "Uncle, I'm afraid that I have been expelled."

Malcolm immediately halted in what he was doing and whirled, glaring at Leland angrily. "You what?"

"It wasn't my fault," Leland said, calmly, "One of the students pushed me so I beat his brains in."

Malcolm sighed with frustration. "Leland Vanhorn, what am I going to do with you?" he snapped, "That money was to make sure that you had a future here in this city and you blew that away on a simple act of passion?"

"I guess I did."

Leland and Nancy took a spot across from one another at the kitchen table. Malcolm shook his head in disbelief. Nancy could see the disappointment there in his eyes and she looked at Leland briefly before staring back up at Malcolm.

"It was just an unfortunate situation," she told him, "I think we can all learn something from this."

Leland chuckled dryly. "Yeah. 'Never do something and get caught'," he muttered, stretching. He winced and rubbed the base of his back for a moment. "Ah. Damn back hurts ... "

Malcolm frowned. "Perhaps you pulled it when you got into that fight."

Leland glared at him sarcastically. "Maybe it's cancer of the spine."

"Leland Vanhorn!" Malcolm barked, stunned by the words.

"Or tuberculosis." Leland added.

Nancy couldn't resist her smile. She actually couldn't help but get into Leland's little game. "Maybe spondylitis."

He stared at her cluelessly. "Spondy - what?"

Nancy smirked at him. "Fuses your spine together."

"Nice." Leland answered, nodding his head, impressed.

Malcolm was not amused by it. He shook his head in disbelief. "I've had just about enough of that talk."

Leland shrugged his shoulders angrily and yet, he still had a particularly calm expression on his face. His voice practically oozed with sarcasm and disrespect with his next words. "Well, that makes two of us."

"I think you should leave!" Malcolm said, sternly; he gestured to the front door.

Leland stood up. "Gladly," he snapped, storming out of the kitchen and through the front door.

Nancy gave Malcolm an apologetic smile before she followed after him.

O

Later that evening, Leland spent the night at Nancy's apartment to avoid dealing with his furious uncle for a while. They were lying in bed together just talking about things that had happened. Leland was staring up at the ceiling as he absently ran his fingers through Nancy's hair.

"What happened out there Leland?" Nancy asked, glancing at him, "You seemed different."

"How so?" Leland asked, not looking at her.

Nancy shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it was different when we were younger; you didn't try to kill the people who messed with me."

He chuckled and rolled onto his side, propping himself on his elbow to look down at her. "Nancy, now don't worry about me," he said, "I have my job to pay me real well and it's enough to live comfortably. I don't need that place anyway."

Nancy nodded, even though she didn't seem very convinced. "Yeah, you're really kicking ass there, rat face ... "

He smiled at her and shook his head, ignoring the pet name for a moment. "Hey just give me one clean shot, alright?"

She scoffed. "Don't humor me."

Leland tilted his head slightly and started to protest. "Nancy ... "

Nancy was quiet for a moment before she propped herself onto her elbow and looked at him gravely. "Listen ... " she began, her voice low and serious, "there's things I can take and a couple things that I can't. One of the things that I can't take is when someone I knew my entire life suddenly starts changing his perspective on things." She paused and made a sound. "I saw your eyes out there in that field when you were beating that guy's head in. I don't want to ever see your eyes like that again."

Leland shrugged his shoulders, not very certain of what she was talking about. "Okay?"

Nancy's eyes narrowed. "I'm serious."

He nodded his head. "Okay."

Nancy leaned forward and kissed him on his lips; the gesture almost seemed half - hearted and so when she pulled away, Leland grabbed her head with both hands and returned the kiss with a little more force than what she was expecting. Startled, Nancy chuckled against his lips and relaxed into the bed when he pushed her down into it. After a heavy, intense moment, he parted from her to allow them both a chance to catch their breath. When she looked up at him, his eyes were darkened with something other than the darkness that she had seen in the field. It was raw desire this time, and he leaned forward to bring his mouth to her exposed neck, moistening the flesh there with his lips.

Nancy really didn't mind that he was a little more fierce that night than he usually was. She didn't care that he left bruises around her legs and hips. She felt ravaged and satisfied that evening and literally forgot about why she was upset with him to begin with. When she was on the brink of sleep, Leland climbed out of bed and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Where are you going?" she mumbled, sleepily.

"To get some cigarettes," he told her, in a soft whisper, "I'll be right back."

Nancy smiled at the response and snuggled deeply underneath the covers to sleep. Satisfied, Leland quickly dressed himself and left the apartment to run across the street to a shopping mart. Once he bought a carton of cigarettes and left the store, he was immediately jumped by a broken Randall who shoved him into a garbage can. The force was enough to knock his face into the concrete path, sending a blazing shot of pain through his head.

"Fucking shit!" Randall shrieked, "You think you can get away with that?"

Leland winced sharply in pain with a grunt when he was kicked in the stomach; he struggled to stand and received another fierce kick to the insides again. Randall glowered down at him, watching Leland attempt to climb fully to his feet and slowly sink into the alleyway. Looming over his head was a peculiar metallic device that had been placed into the wall of a building. It resonated strange, silent waves of sound that seemed to vibrate through the bodies of both men, but they did not even know it. There was an oil drum fire casting an eerie glow all around the two men and the shapes of rats danced wildly across the walls.

"You think you can get away with that, fucker?" Randall snarled again.

Leland snickered and his mouth dripped with blood. "Looking for me? Want more?" he hissed, "Then come and get it!" He beckoned with two hands and spoke in a taunting voice through his blood - soaked mouth. "Come on!"

Randall rushed him immediately, knocking the oil drum fire over and dousing the two in complete darkness. They grappled before rolling around in the dirt, punching one another like two savage dogs; Leland grabbed Randall by his neck and punched him in his face again and again, snarling with effort. He felt fueled by a rage that had no name; a rage that overpowered his senses and left him seeing blood red as he had in the field when Randall had shoved Nancy.

"I'm going to peel your face off!" he snarled, in a voice that not even he himself recognized.

Randall somehow got the upper hand and grabbed Leland's wrist, twisting it back. Leland gave a howl of pain and was shoved forcefully into the wall. Randall kicked him in the ribs a few times and laughed between gulps of air.

"Let me show you how it's done, you piece of fucking rat shit!" Randall spat.

When Leland heard the multiple sounds of something _snick_, he knew immediately what it was; Randall had pulled out two knives on him. He walked a few paces from him and laughed cruelly. "I'm going to give you a cut to match my face..."

Leland stood up and Randall spun around, flinging the knife right at him; the move was so fast and immediate that it should have contacted Leland's body, but instead, he reached up and batted the weapon away with one hand like it was nothing - Leland was an expert with knives and knew exactly how to counter them. This man here was simply child's play. Randall blinked in disbelief and Leland grinned at him wickedly, slowly beginning to advance on the horrified man. He spat some blood out of his mouth to the side.

"Try harder! Try again!"

Randall screamed with rage and flung the second knife at him. Leland caught this one in two hands and chuckled wickedly, flinging the weapon aside. Randall's eyes widened when the man removed a long hunting knife from his pocket.

"This is a knife!" he hissed.

Randall reached out with two hands to push back the assault, but Leland was faster; he sliced his knife through the air, cutting through Randall's hands as if they were made of butter. Randall screamed in agony and stared down at his gushing hands. Leland immediately plunged his knife deep into Randall's stomach while the screaming man was bowed over in pain. His eyes bugged wide and his screamed died into a gurgled choke. Leland brought his lips close to his ear and giggled.

"_That's_ how it's done ... " he whispered, cruelly.

Randall groaned, blood gushing from his slightly parted lips. He attempted to grab at Leland, but his grip was weak and he collapsed to the ground in a bloody pile of limbs and shredded clothing. Leland grinned down at his lifeless body for several moments before he looked back toward Nancy's apartment building. He tilted his head in deep thought, considering what Nancy would think of him in such a condition.

He decided that it would be best not to go back.

O

_Several Weeks Later_

Nancy was standing among a crowd of new graduates for the Metro City University, smiling into the watching crowd where she noticed Leland and Malcolm watching her. Hayden and Bren were there as well talking pictures of her and acting as if she was really their daughter. Nancy couldn't bring them down about that; they had showed up for her graduation and she only wished that her mother was allowed to come and see her.

She spent the entire remaining time that Schneider was giving his speech daydreaming; she knew where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do, but something was nagging away at her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about Leland and what he was going to do. That was only a part of her worries; she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't entirely right. Maybe with Leland and perhaps with Malcolm, but she couldn't shake it away.

After the graduation ceremony, the Boyd's, Nancy and the two Vanhorn's met back at Malcolm's house to have dinner. Nancy couldn't help but find it funny that Hayden and Bren were both very uncomfortable the entire time, even though Malcolm was very hospitable.

"It's nice to have the two of you over for dinner," Malcolm told them as they sat across one another from the dining room table, "We haven't had the opportunity to talk much."

Bren took a drink of her wine. "Well, it's nothing personal," she replied, shifting in her seat at the same time, "You understand."

Malcolm looked at her calmly and smiled with a shake of his head. His voice told a different story; he seemed a little insulted by something. "No, I don't."

Nancy glanced at Leland from across the table with a warning look that read "this might get ugly". Leland caught the look and nodded briefly, indicating that she should say something to prevent a problem before it started. They knew what the Boyd's and Malcolm had a problem with; they had forbid Nancy to see Leland and for a while, Malcolm had been somewhat displeased by the action, though he rarely spoke of it.

"Malcolm, this is really good chicken," Nancy interjected, smiling weakly at the older man, "Did you use Balsamic Vinaigrette or Italian?"

Malcolm glanced at her, distracted for a moment. "Oh! I used Italian ... "

Nancy smiled painfully at Bren who gave her a look before resuming. "I think you know very well what the problem was."

Hayden gave his wife a warning look. "Bren..."

Malcolm frowned at her. "No, I don't," he said, tension in his voice, "Perhaps you could explain it to me."

"I like this wine." Nancy interjected once more, attempting to steer the argument off track.

It didn't work.

"You could explain what your problem is with my nephew and Nancy's being together as children," Malcolm continued, as if Nancy hadn't even spoken a word, "I respect your authority, however you have _yet _to give a reasonable explanation!"

Bren glared at him. "What we decide is none of your concern!"

Hayden sighed impatiently and stared at his wife sternly. "Bren, can we save it for later?" he protested, "Malcolm was kind enough to invite us over. You're putting a real heavy damper on the whole evening."

Bren glanced at her husband and cleared her throat. She straightened in her seat and looked at Malcolm with a forced apologetic look on her face. "Sorry ... "

Malcolm nodded in response before they returned to their meal. It was quiet for two moments before Malcolm spoke in a calm and passive tone. "There's no need to disrespect me in my own house, ma'am."

Bren slapped her hands on the table and pushed herself back in her chair. "That's it! We're leaving!"

Nancy frowned up at her as her foster mother began to gather her coat from the rack near the door. "Bren, why are you acting like this today?" she demanded, "He didn't do anything. You started all of this anyway."

Bren snapped her fingers at her. "Nancy, when he tells me how I raise my daughter-"

That did it.

"I'M NOT YOUR FUCKING DAUGHTER!" Nancy shouted, startling everyone at the table.

There was a stunned silence for two moments and Bren stared at Nancy, shocked by the outburst. Nancy had shot out of her chair and was standing there with a furious look on her face. Bren frowned at her for a moment before speaking.

"Nancy ... " she began.

"My _mother _is in a nuthouse all alone!" Nancy continued, her face bright red and eyes starting to tear up, "So when you feel the need to toss the 'mother' card at me - Bren - remember who my REAL MOTHER is!" She turned and stormed out into the kitchen and out into the back porch.

Nancy spent the rest of the evening alone on the back porch of the Vanhorn house. When she heard the sounds of Bren and Hayden leaving after several hours, she was actually surprised; Malcolm must have been talking with them for a while. Given the lack of arguing inside, they must have been acting civil.

The door opened and Leland stepped out. "Nancy, are you still out here?" he asked.

"Is it so easy to tell?" Nancy muttered, sarcastically.

Leland chuckled quietly and bent down; he placed his arms around her and kissed her head. "You understand they're talking about how crazy you are."

Nancy uttered a bark of laughter, but she actually smiled. "Yeah. It wouldn't be the first time ... "

"They're leaving now," Leland pointed out, "Perhaps you should speak to them before I hear it forever from Malcolm."

He tilted his head and placed a kiss on her neck; the stubble on his chin tickled. Nancy chuckled and shivered against the sensations before she parted from him and stood up. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she muttered, "I was a bit of a bitch back there."

Nancy walked around the side of the house where she could see Bren and Hayden getting ready to get into their car. She smiled weakly and considered what she would say to apologize to them. Then, she stopped when she heard Bren talking about her.

" ... Nancy's such an innocent girl, I can't let it happen again!" Bren protested, in a hushed whisper.

Nancy frowned and ducked into the shadows to avoid being seen. What had gotten Bren so upset?

Hayden grabbed his wife's shoulders and shook her. "Keep your voice down!" he whispered fiercely, "We promised not to talk about it again, didn't we?"

Bren closed her eyes with a small choke of pain; Nancy had never seen her look like that before. It was almost hurting her and she felt the urge to walk over and hug Bren and apologize many times until she got sick of hearing it. But then, she noticed Hayden's look as well; regret and pain as well. Nancy suddenly felt sick, like she was the most useless person in the world as well as ungrateful for what they had done.

"Bren!" she said, stepping out from the shadows.

The two looked over at her, surprised.

"Oh, Nancy ... " Bren said, discreetly hiding her tears.

Nancy walked up to her and threw her arms around her before she could protest. Bren blinked several times with surprise before she slowly and carefully returned the embrace. Hayden joined in after a brief moment and the three shared a moment of just holding each other.

"Sorry Bren ... " Nancy said, quietly.

Later that evening, Leland spent the evening at Malcolm's house to collect his thoughts. It had been a particularly eventful evening and he informed Nancy that it would be a good idea for her to have some time alone after all of it. Nancy surprisingly agreed to that and went home. But as he began to think about it, the memory of his murdering Randall began to flood back to him. The blood and the screams, the tormented animal sounds that his victim had made.

Leland began to feel an itch inside of him; he had this sense that what he had done was enjoyable. And then, he shook that thought aside. That fool had attacked him first and he had defended himself! There was no way he would enjoy that! It was sick. It was ...

Leland closed his eyes and he could hear a voice whispering to him and then, a metallic rattling sound followed. It became unbearable after a while and he covered his ears with both hands, shutting his eyes with a weak groan.

_"What's happening to you, Leland?" _a heavy, rasping voice hissed in his ear, _"You're thinking about it, aren't you? You're thinking of that man's blood - soaked face, the feeling of the knife going into his body ... Now, why do you think that is?" _There was a pause and a dry laugh followed when Leland attempted to blot the sounds out of his head. _"That's right - ignore me. Ignore the pain. Bury it deep into your stomach. __Let me fester - let me rot." _

Leland spun around and in his chair and looked over his shoulder to find the source of the sound. It was gone now and the only sounds that remained were the cawing noises of crows perched on the power cables outside. He stared at them for a moment, watching as they stared right back-their empty black eyes almost piercing and cruel. It was as if they saw into his mind, saw the darkest secret that he was keeping from Nancy and Malcolm. He could hear that voice whispering again in his head and this time, he made no effort to ignore it.

_"__The cracks are showing, Leland ... and the blood lust is seeping in. And when it does, I'll be waiting for you."_

O

Nancy and several recruits arrived at SCU the next morning and were greeted by Director Ike Farrell as well as senior workers and agents. Farrell paced before the line of new recruits like a general surveying his troops. Nancy got the feeling that this man had seen more than his share of messed up shit in his life; he looked older than he probably was and had bits of gray streaked through his slicked black hair. He was wearing a clean-cut gray suit and tie with shiny black shoes. Nancy concluded that he must have been fond of very depressing colors.

"Welcome to SCU," he said, "Each one of you will be paired up with one of our senior officers here and they will go through regulations, training and procedure for you for a few weeks until you have a full understanding of what we do." He stopped in front of Nancy, noticing that she didn't seem interested with what he was saying. He knotted his brow and gave her a particularly unfriendly look. "What's your name?"

Nancy stood at attention now. "Nancy Morello."

Farrell furrowed his brow at that. "Morello ... " He turned and gestured to one of his agents; a tall man with a permanent scowl set on his face. He was wearing heavy body armor and his name tag read DORLAND. "You will be paired up with Agent Dorland."

Dorland looked at Nancy and gave her a particularly curt nod in reply. Nancy chuckled dryly. "Wow, he looks like he's full of excitement ... "

Farrell frowned at her before he turned to another recruit, ignoring the stifled snickers from the others, including the senior agents. "Excuse me?"

She smiled sheepishly. "N - Nothing."

Dorland glared at Nancy as Farrell paired up each recruit with senior officials. He offered his hand in a forced attempt at politeness. "Agent John Dorland."

Nancy returned the gesture. "Nancy Morello."

Dorland gestured for her to follow him. "Come on, let me show you around."

Nancy nodded in response and followed Dorland down the halls of the SCU first floor. He stopped in front of a room labeled PATHOLOGY AND RADIOLOGY MORGUE and stepped inside. There was a woman bent over a blood-soaked table performing an autopsy. She looked up at the sounds of them walking in and smiled. Nancy could sense that this woman was a pretty nice individual because when she smiled, she felt pretty at ease. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail and was wearing a golden badge on her belt.

"Hi!" she greeted, "You must be the new agent that they told me about."

Dorland nodded. "Nancy, this is Lieutenant Angel Rosa; Rosa, this is Nancy Morello."

Rosa offered her hand to shake it, but Nancy stared down at the blood - soaked glove and winced. Rosa realized her error and chuckled, removing the gloves. She walked over to a sink and began washing her hands. "I apologize for not being down there," she told her, "I got caught up in my work and couldn't leave."

"It's alright," Nancy replied.

Rosa smiled at her and once her hands were dry enough, she looked at Dorland. "I'll come with you."

Dorland frowned at her. "Rosa, I'm just showing her around the place."

Rosa smiled brightly at Nancy. "Don't worry, Dorland," she told him, "Nancy could use a friend around here."

Dorland rolled his eyes with a groan of disinterest at the friendly scene before he walked out of the room with the two women following behind him. They passed two soda machines and Nancy had the urge to get a can of Fizzy Cola, but she didn't want to break away from the conversations and come off as rude. They passed TOXICOLOGY and MICRO PHOTOGRAPHY before stopping at the locker room where Nancy could use her key that she was given by Dorland.

Then, they were stopped by a man wearing a Special Agent SCU jacket and uniform. His name tag read THOMAS. "Rosa, do you have the tests ready for me-Oh. I didn't know you were busy with someone."

Dorland gestured to him and looked at Nancy. "This is Special Agent Ethan Thomas," he said, and his words seemed to be carried on what seemed like carefully - hidden loathing. "Thomas, this is Nancy Morello."

Nancy smiled briefly at Ethan. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hi ... " Ethan said, barely acknowledging her. He looked at Rosa. "Anyway, those papers?"

Rosa nodded. "Right, right. Sorry." She looked at Nancy apologetically. "Hey, I have to go. I'll see you later, okay?"

Nancy smiled and waved her off. "Go on before the guy has a heart attack; I'll be cool."

Rosa nodded in acknowledgement and followed Ethan down the hallway where Nancy and Dorland had come from. Nancy couldn't resist her laugh at the rapid pace that Ethan was taking. She looked up at Dorland curiously.

"That Ethan seems charming," she murmured, "But you seem to like him even more than I do ... "

Dorland scoffed. "Forget it," he snapped, turning, "Let's just head up to the fifth floor so you can speak with Louise ... "

Nancy followed him into an elevator. "Who's Louise?" she asked.

"One of the senior council," Dorland explained, wincing at the irritating tune of the music inside the elevator, "She will be your mediator and your council leader should you find the job becoming a bit too much for you-Christ, I wish they'd change this music."

The elevator doors roared open and Dorland led Nancy down the hallways of more elaborate offices; the assistant directors and the council. Dorland entered the office labeled LOUISE GRIFFIN - SENIOR COUNCIL and Nancy followed him inside. There was a middle - aged woman sitting at the desk behind a computer, typing in rapid procession. She reminded Nancy a little bit of a younger version of Bren; her long brown hair was tied in a bun and she had faint traces of gray going down the sides. She was wearing a blue blouse and a heart-shaped necklace. All in all, she gave off the impression that every counselor would.

"Louise, I have her here for you," Dorland told the woman, "She's all yours."

Louise smiled warmly at Nancy. "Oh! Sit down, Miss Morello!" she said, gesturing to a chair in front of her. "I have a lot to talk to you about your - Oh! John, you don't have to go just yet; it also involves you too."

Dorland frowned, but nonetheless, he took a spot beside Nancy.

"The two of you have been partnered up, I see," Louise said, removing a few folders from her desk, "Farrell instructed me to give you both a list of - "

Nancy interrupted by holding out a hand. "Wait, why didn't he just say this while I was down there?"

Louise smiled cheerfully at her. "Oh, he's been busy these past few weeks, Nancy," she said, "Don't take offense to it."

Nancy glanced briefly at Dorland, who stared straight ahead, his face a mask of deep focus. She frowned at him before looking at Louise. "So what's so important that it has to have both of us here?" she asked.

"There is a small - not entirely an issue - that Farrell wants adressed and he wants you to hear it as well." Louise looked up at Dorland with that same calm smile as before. "John's last partner was killed in a riot and he has suffered some - "

"Christ, Louise!" Dorland protested, "Why would you mention that to a recruit?"

Louise smiled at him. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, John," she said, "Communication is very important in a law-enforcement partnership."

Nancy chuckled. "I guess he didn't do much of that with the other guy, huh?"

"Oh goddamn it!" Dorland spat.

Nancy glared at him now, immediately insulted by the seemingly blasphemous curse in her direction. "Don't you 'goddamn it' me!" he barked, rising out of her chair, "Don't you dare take the lord's name in vain with me, do you understand?"

Louise smiled cheerfully. "NOW you're communicating!"

The two glared down at her and shouted at the same time. "LOUISE!"

O

Later that evening, Nancy and Dorland were sitting in his car parked at the corner of Stafford Street; the headlights were off and they were watching a group of what looked like gang bangers coming out of an abandoned building.

"So what are we doing here when we could be over there?" Nancy questioned.

Dorland kept his gaze locked on the transaction taking place. "Because... We are looking for the right moment to seize our friend Cayle George. We believe that he is operating a meth ring somewhere around here and-THERE HE IS!"

Before Nancy knew it, Dorland was slamming on the gas and the car barreled forward. The man who he was talking about was already running for his beaten black sport's car when Dorland pulled out from the alley. He gave chase while speaking through his headset.

"Rosa! We're in pursuit!" he shouted, "Cayle George is in sight!"

_"Copy that! Don't lose him!"_

Dorland bared his teeth and slammed harder onto the gas. He spoke severely. "I won't."

Nancy gripped the sides of her seat while Dorland pursued the black sport's car around a corner. It struck a speed bump and jolted them all; the sport's car wasn't as lucky and spiraled out of control on the road, tires squealing loudly. Dorland slammed on the gas to avoid being struck by the spinning vehicle. When it came to a stop and the two agents quickly climbed out, the man was already climbing out of his car and taking off on foot.

"Rosa! Target is fleeing toward Factory Row!" Dorland shouted, in his headset, "I'm on foot pursuit now!"

Nancy panted as she followed alongside Dorland, gripping her handgun tightly. They arrived between two alleyways and watched as the target took off down one. Dorland snapped his fingers at Nancy and gestured for her to take the other alley.

"Cut him off at the end!" he ordered, "I'll tail him!"

Nancy nodded briefly and took off in the direction that he was talking about, tearing past boxes and dumpsters. She quickly stopped for a moment to collect her thoughts and as soon as she did, Cayle came around the corner, panting and terrified. When he saw Nancy standing there, he snarled at her.

"Move it, cop bitch!" he shouted; he had a mild accent that sounded Latin American.

Nancy moved quick; she pulled out her stun gun and when he came close enough, she ducked from a thrown punch and shoved the tazer in his balls, giving him the shock of his life. He shrieked out in pain and folded to the floor in a spasming pile of limbs. Dorland came around the corner and stared down at the scene for a few moments before he gave Nancy a half - hearted smile and a pat on her shoulder that was particularly rough.

"Good job, Morello," he said, grabbing Cayle by the arms and forcing him onto his stomach to put him in handcuffs, despite his moans of pain. "What did you do to this guy?" he asked

Cayle groaned in agony and his next words carried more wounded pride than pain, speaking before Nancy could. "The goddamn bitch tazed me in the fucking balls, man!" he cried. "That's ... That's fucked up!"

Dorland gave Nancy a funny look and she grinned, shrugging her shoulders innocently. He dragged Cayle to his feet and began walking him back to his car with Nancy following. He tapped his headset and spoke.

"Rosa, subject is in custody."

_"Excellent! Is everyone still in one piece?" _Rosa asked.

Dorland pushed Cayle into the back of his car and gave Nancy a look before he nodded. "Yes, everything's good."

_"Good. I'll have Task Force B ready for him when you bring him back. Has he been Mirandised?" _

The two climbed into the car and Dorland glared back at Cayle once Rosa was finished; the man was coughing weakly from Nancy's assault on his nether regions. "You have the right to an attorney and if you throw up in my car, I will shoot you in the head. Are we clear?"

Cayle groaned in response.

They returned to SCU where Cayle was subject to harsh interrogation by Dorland. Nancy was simply observing this at the side of the room, watching how it was done. Dorland wasn't exactly gentle with him either.

"You give me the names and you get off easy," Dorland told him, "The two guys who run the meth ring with you. It's all I want."

Cayle shook his head rapidly. "I squeal and they kill me!"

Dorland shrugged his shoulders. "If you don't squeal, you go to jail and probably die anyway, so which is it?"

Cayle looked over at Nancy for a moment before he met Dorland's terrifying gaze. "O - Okay, I got 'em," he protested, "Just ... easy ... " He took a deep breath and straightened. "Cory Davis delivers the goods and Tari Raney is the head of the operation. Now where he is right now, I ain't too sure. Tari takes off for the Preston area every Tuesday to check up on his product; makes sure that no one's been stiffing his ass of the stuff."

Nancy was writing all of this down on a pad of paper while Cayle delivered the information to them. Dorland stared at Cayle skeptically.

"And?" he pressed.

"The guy's a pretty sick fuck, you know," Cayle said, snickering weakly, "He's arranged for the custom guys to be on tomorrow night. Sweet ol' union boys will be there to unload the shipment to send out to the sweet little children."

Dorland didn't react to the horrible news. "What do you get out of it?"

"Do my job right - which I obviously fucked up - I usually get 5 percent of the earnings. You can imagine how much cash that is." Cayle grinned at the thought and licked his lips as if he was savoring a delicious treat.

Dorland chuckled softly. "Thanks," he said, "Looks like I got what I need to put your pathetic piece of waste ass behind bars forever."

Nancy left the room and Dorland shortly followed. She gave him a strange look and he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Something's not right about this," Nancy said, furrowing her brow in deep thought, "There's more to this whole thing than we're seeing."

Dorland stared at her for a moment before he shook it off and patted her roughly on the shoulder, brushing passed her. "Don't worry about it, Morello."

Nancy watched him go and looked inside at Cayle through the window of the door, watching as he leaned back in his chair and shifted a little bit. She knew that there was more to the city's crime wave than a simple increase in drug activity.

So much more.


	4. Part Three

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish.

"Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."

-Emmanuel Teney

I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane.

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part Three**

_Metro City_

_A few years later..._

_"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."_

-Psalm 30:5

_Time went on and it seemed that the city was only getting worse._

_It made me wonder if this effort was even worth it; but I still pressed on. _

_I felt that I had to._

O

_"This is the seven a.m. edition of Channel Ten Action News. For over a decade, the night before Halloween has had a darker and deadlier nickname in the inner city-Devil's Night-the name given to what has become an annual plague of arson. Last year over 200 individual blazes were reported, and 11 people lost their lives. Tonight will repeat what may become the biggest and deadliest Devil's Night ever. The mayor has firefighters from all surrounding counties, as well as ..."_

"Ah Christ, turn that shit off!"

Nancy immediately turned the radio down in the SCU office. Older and much more attractive, the 27 year old Special Agent passed by desks of the 2nd floor offices and smirked at Agent Pierce LeRue who was carrying several folders in his hands. He looked to be struggling to keep several pages inside the folders from falling. She was preparing to make copies of her deposition to give to Farrell and one for Rosa.

"Don't like reality radio, huh?" she said.

LeRue chuckled and shook his head with dismay. "Nah, that lady just always likes to remind us of how much of a good job we do around here ... " Nancy chuckled at that and walked to the scanner to begin making copies of papers. LeRue followed her. "So ... since we're here meeting like this; how's that ol' boyfriend treating you?"

Nancy smiled, but she could not hide a bit of doubt in her eyes as she placed some paper into the copy machine. The question made her feel a little strange because of what had been going on. "He's been angry a lot lately."

LeRue looked concerned. "You mean, at you?"

"Oh no, it's nothing like that. He just seems angry at everything else."

LeRue furrowed his brow and made a thoughtful sound, rapping his fingers against the machine. "Well, I can't tell you how to deal with your domestic problems, but sounds to me like the guy's got a big bug up his butt. Maybe you should talk to him, you know? See what's got him on edge."

Nancy sighed and made a face. She nearly dropped the stack of papers in her hands and a few freshly copied pages crumbled to the floor from the machine. She bent down to pick them up. "I don't know - God this thing is fucking useless - I was thinking of letting him see a therapist to talk about it-"

" - Sounds like a good idea!"

" - But Leland hates them. He told me that he had to go to one when he was a kid and he had hated it ever since. He thinks that they simply use their position as an excuse to get into your head and control you forever." Nancy shook her head with dismay. "I have NO clue where he gets an idea like that."

LeRue laughed quietly and waved his hand in the air. "Well, I gotta scat. Boss wants my report on his desk." He sighed. "All play and no work makes LeRue a dull boy … "

"All play and no work makes LeRue an UNEMPLOYED boy." Nancy told him, snickering.

He gave her an amused smile and walked away. Nancy grinned, shaking her head and waited for a few moments before he could realize that he was missing something. When he returned with a look of mild embarrassment, she arched a brow. "Forgot the scanner papers?"

LeRue smiled sheepishly and grabbed the papers from the scanner. "I know." He started to go, but stopped again and turned to look at her with a concerned smile. "Hey, Nancy, just remember to relax, okay? Don't let all this shit get you down. You don't want to end up like Alex, do you?"

He gestured over to the desk of Special Agent Alex Theophilus who was staring off into space with an exhausted look in his red, baggy eyes. He immediately dropped his head on the desk with a dull thudding sound and two other agents who were in the middle of a conversation stopped and stared over at him with surprise. Nancy gave LeRue a funny look and he chuckled at the expression before walking away.

Meanwhile, while Nancy was at work. Leland was sleeping at the kitchen table of Malcolm's home, drooling slightly and mumbling something under his breath. He was surrounded with newspapers and empty boxes of Chinese food. Then, he began to hyperventilate, his brow knotting with panic as he was dreaming and mumbling the words "no" over and over again. He started screaming after several seconds and Malcolm came running into the kitchen.

"Leland!" he cried, shaking Leland gently by his shoulders, "Wake up! Wake up, you're dreaming!"

Leland awoke from his dream with a sharp gasp and he looked around frantically before meeting his uncle's worried gaze; his eyes were bloodshot and panicked. A thin sliver of drool trickled down the length of his chin.

"I … I had a horrible nightmare…" he breathed, "I … I had killed you and Nancy."

Malcolm looked a bit shaken by the words, but he shook his head and spoke soothingly. "It was just a dream, Leland," he told him, "You don't have to worry about it anymore. Everything is going to be fine."

Leland mumbled something and slid out of his chair, falling to the floor. Malcolm bent down to help him and he watched a strange gleam touch Leland's eyes. It frightened the older man somewhat because he couldn't tell if it was fascination or fear.

"No…it wasn't just that … " he continued, his voice shaking, "I - I cut you open … just to see what you looked like … And Nancy … " He moaned softly and rubbed his eyes with one hand; Malcolm had a feeling he didn't want to know what happened to Nancy in his nephew's dream. "Oh God. I must be losing my mind."

Malcolm looked haunted, but nonetheless, he smiled with an assuring smile. "It's going to be fine, nephew," he promised, "Don't worry."

_"Leland? Still think I'm something that you can avoid?"_

Leland moaned quietly at the hissing voice in his ears and stared at Malcolm desperately.

O

Later on, Leland walked out to the back yard and scooped up a mewling chocolate brown cat in his arms; he scratched its head gently with one hand and it purred against his cheek. He gave the creature a kiss on its furry neck before he placed it onto the ground. The creature looked up at him and meowed expectantly. Leland chuckled and reached onto his trash can lid where a dish of wet cat food rested. He placed the dish on the steps and the cat bound upwards to eat the gift.

Leland glanced back at the sound of someone knocking on the front door. He walked through the kitchen, stumbling slightly before moving over to the front door and opened it. Nancy was standing there on the door mat, wearing a black, outdoor jacket with a scarf around her neck and boots. She was out of uniform which meant that she was off duty right now. Leland smiled when he saw her, relieved that she was here.

"Well, hello," he greeted.

Nancy smiled broadly at him and made a teasing gesture with her arms crossed over her chest as if she was irritated with him. She arched a single brow. "It speaks. It opens its mouth and sounds come out," she joked, "It hasn't called me all weekend; I was deeply worried its voice had disappeared forever."

Leland chuckled and shook his head. "Is your dear foster father being a pain again?"

"Ahhh, I'll tell ya' later," Nancy told him, waving one hand, "Let's go before the lunch rush hits. I thought we could hit a coffee shop or something."

Leland nodded. It sounded nice to leave for a while and clear his head a bit. "Sure. Just let me get my coat."

He walked to the living room where his denim jacket was lying on a chair and he picked it up, calling up to Malcolm on the second floor. "I'm leaving!" he shouted, not even waiting for a response, "Don't wait up!"

Nancy waited for Leland outside and as soon as he shut the door behind him, they started walking down the street. They occasionally passed a few people who muttered into the shadows, not entirely with it as far as sanity went. This passed over their heads unnoticed as they walked and talked.

"So, how's Malcolm been today?" Nancy asked.

Leland sighed and his shoulders slouched slightly. His mind whispered a rebuke not to tell Nancy about the nightmare that he had. Thinking about it sent shivers coiling their way down his spine. "I had a nightmare this morning, but it wasn't serious. It seemed to be the only thing to get Malcolm out of his study. He always spends his time in there, like he's obsessed with something that he won't share with me."

Nancy tsked and shook her head. "Well quiet is better than yelling at 5 in the morning from a phone call from your foster folks telling you your car is parked in their space." She made another disapproving sound. "It was worse when I ended up sitting in bird shit because I forgot to put the hood up."

Leland glanced toward an alleyway where two men had begun fighting one another. He figured that they were homeless given their sense of clothing and the condition of their faces. They looked like two savage dogs beating one another for a shot at the bottle of whiskey in their hands. It disgusted Leland to see this; he couldn't fathom why these savages were still alive in this city. Why couldn't they disappear with the rest of the trash?

_Disgusting savages ... _he thought; _they'd be better off dead. _

The two walked into a coffee shop and stood in line. The store was mildly crowded given the time of day and people were talking to one another at an almost unbearable pace. While the two waited, Leland shut his eyes for a brief second, listening to the blood humming in his own ears. He could make out the sounds of fighting in the back of his head from a few of the people in the shop arguing. When he opened them again, he wasn't standing in the coffee shop anymore, but in a dark room that looked like a basement. It was dimly lit by an overhead light. Leland frowned and looked around. There was no one else here with him.

This had become a common thing for him lately. Whenever he would close his eyes or just tune out the irritations of humanity, he would find himself here, in this strange little room. Was it an illusion? Maybe. He was never too sure about it.

"I wish I could just kill them to shut them up ... " he mumbled with irritation. And as soon as the words left his lips, his eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't believe that he was considering killing someone again. "Kill? Did I just say that?" He shook his head rapidly. "What's wrong with me? Why do I think about killing all the time?"

Two dark shapes stood behind him, chuckling in cold, cruel voices. He couldn't see them at first but he knew that they were the voices that plagued his mind. There were two instead of one this time in comparison to the one voice from a long time ago._ "It's because you like killing people, isn't it?"_

Leland shook his head, his features still slackened with horror. "But I don't ... " And yet, he didn't sound convincing even to himself.

The two shadows placed their arms around him. He could feel the icy touch of metal against his skin and their disgusting, hot breath. _"If you don't kill first, they will kill you. It's a matter of time." _There were two voices talking at the same time; one sounded like a younger man and the other sounded like a woman. Their words breathed out like an icy wind.

Leland stared ahead, haunted. "But that's no excuse. I can't kill people who haven't done me any wrong."

The shadow on the left leaned forward until he could see the details of its face at the corners of his eyes; lips pulled painfully back in a wicked grin with metal plates and hooks. Its eyes were lifeless and yellow, glowing faintly beneath a tattered hood. Its flesh was sickly and gray.

_"They are criminals, Leland. They don't deserve to live in this world. What will happen if they continue to kill more innocent people?"_

Leland didn't answer.

The other shadow leaned in close from his right. _"What about poor, sweet little Nancy? You want to protect her, don't you?"_

"Of course I do!"

_"Then what will happen if those animals continue to kill the way they do? They might even find their way to her." _A dry chuckle followed, like the rattling of bones. _"Oh ... you would hate it if that happened, wouldn't you, Leland? It would break your heart, wouldn't it?"_

Leland noticed a shape lying in the room with him, drenched in blood. He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing just who that corpse was. "No ... "

_"Imagine that sweet, beautiful face ... " _the voices continued, _"Imagine those green eyes forever hung open, without life, without love ... That lovely pristine flesh ripped to pieces, bruised and torn by those criminals. It will happen, unless you strike first before they do."_

Leland was quiet for a while. His voice strained out of him. "No ... It ... It isn't right ... "

_"So do it. Bring them to justice..."_

Leland covered his ears with both hands. "Shut up!" he shouted.

Nancy stared at him with confusion and he snapped out of his world of darkness. "Huh? What's wrong, Leland?" she asked.

He shook his head and took her hand. He felt somewhat drained and his skin was pale. "Come on. Let's find a place less crowded ... "

As they exited the coffee shop and crossed the street, Leland looked over his shoulder and noticed the same dark shape watching him from across the street with those cold, yellow eyes and that sick, stretched mouth filled with metal.

O

Leland couldn't stop the voices from piercing the former serenity of his mind.

_"How do you do it? How do you hold it all inside, Leland? Your face never betraying your pain ... No one would ever know the guilt you feel-the dark thoughts that you keep." _The laughter was horrible and pressed deeper into his head like a knife. _"You can pretend not to be bothered, but it rattles you, doesn't it? All the plastic and tape covering the scars - trying to hide the blood and the bodies so no one will ever know. But you remember what happened-no matter how deeply you try to bury it."_

Everywhere he and Nancy went, he felt himself close to snapping, close to surrendering to the dark voices. Every person who passed by was talking so fast and so loud, his head felt like it was going to split open. He sat at the restaurant table watching Nancy's lips moving, but no sound coming out. Sound seemed to return when the restaurant manager approached them and scowled down at Nancy who was puffing on a cigarette.

"I'm sorry, but you cannot smoke that in here," he told her, "This is a non - smoking area."

Leland scoffed. "What are you doing?" he sneered, "Are you going to sing us a pretty little song?"

The manager reached for Nancy's cigarette. "I'll put it out then."

Suddenly, Leland moved too fast for Nancy or even the manager to react. He grabbed the man's arm in a grip so tight and twisted; it could have very well broken the bone. "Get your hands off of her you piece of shit!" he snarled, shooting up from his chair.

Nancy looked stunned and needless to say, so did the other employees and customers. Leland shoved the man away, stood up and pointed a finger to Nancy. "If she wants to smoke a little cigarette, she will smoke, alright? We're paying customers here!" He smirked coldly at the other employees attempting to advance on him and he beckoned tauntingly with two hands. "Come on! Come and get me then! Are you big tough men?" He scoffed and snapped his fingers at Nancy. "Come on, we're leaving."

Still surprised, Nancy stood up, gathered her things and apologized to the manager before they started to walk out of the restaurant. Leland shouted back at the stunned people. "All of you had better watch what you eat! I found a cockroach in mine!"

Once outside, Nancy stopped and turned, glaring at Leland. "What was up with that in there?" she demanded, "Are you trying to get in trouble?"

Leland scoffed and shrugged his shoulders calmly. "He pissed me off."

"Just because some guy swings his dick around doesn't mean you have to lash out every time!"

"But - "

"No, you need to calm down before someone gets hurt!" Nancy sighed heavily and started walking ahead.

_"Someone will get hurt, Leland ... " _the voices hissed, in his head.

Leland growled quietly before he followed Nancy until he walked alongside her once more. "Nancy, don't you understand?" he said; his voice was hard, "People like that get away with everything! That's why someone has to stand up and - "

"Oh? And what next? Make things worse?" Nancy snapped, glaring at him.

Leland tightened his lips, forcing himself not to lose his temper with her. It took a lot of effort to do so. "Don't pull that touchy - feely twelve - steps horse shit with me today, Nancy. I don't feel like hearing it a fourth time!"

Nancy opened her mouth to protest, but she didn't see something coming up from behind her from the darkness of the alley. Leland must have seen it before she did because he looked beyond her and his eyes slowly widened. He pushed her roughly out of the way and she stumbled back in shock, her hands scraping against the concrete; she watched Leland lunge right for a man dressed in ragged clothing and wielding a knife. The two grappled one another until they crashed into a couple of garbage cans, sending rats scurrying away and papers flying everywhere.

"Don't touch her!" Leland snarled, delivering a punch to the bum's face. "Don't EVER touch her!"

The blow was strong enough to chip whatever was left of the teeth in the bum's mouth. Nancy got a good view of his face; blistered flesh and pus-filled wounds with multiple lacerations. A homeless man who looked to have bloodshot eyes filled with crust and dirt. Insane and wild from what she could guess was drugs, he attempted to stab Leland in his most vital of areas. Fortunately, Leland was quick enough to avoid the lethal blows.

Nancy wished that she had her gun with her right now. Dammit! She had always taken it with her while she was off duty these days. Why was today any different? Instead of freaking out, she picked up one of the empty trash cans and brought it down hard against the bum's back. That seemed to do little to deter him and instead piss him off. He glared back at her with an animal-like snarl, diving from Leland and lunging right for her, hands grabbing her throat. Nancy struggled and felt the hard concrete on her back. Stars danced across her vision and she delivered swift blows that would normally disable any man, but the bum barely even flinched. He giggled wickedly, drool dribbling down his chin.

Suddenly, there was a meaty smacking sound and Nancy watched the bum's eyes widen, almost in shock and realization before he slumped down on top of Nancy. She winced and struggled to push him off before she noticed that the very knife he had attempted to use on her was embedded deep into his back.

"Oh my God ... " she gasped, horrified.

Leland pushed the corpse aside with his foot and pulled the knife out of his back with a sick, meaty sound. He pulled Nancy to her feet and studied the knife in his hands with intrigue. "Hmm, nice knife ... " he mused. He looked at Nancy, who looked stunned. "What?"

"I could have stopped him!" Nancy cried, "I could have made an arrest or-"

"Before or after he choked you to death?" Leland countered, "Don't be so naive, Nancy! This town is going to hell and you're so concerned with playing by the rules." He pointed the end of the knife at her and she warily stared down at it. "That's not how things work anymore. It's kill or be killed."

Nancy stared down at the bloody corpse for a few moments before she stared harshly at Leland. "We clean this up and bury the body," she said, and her voice carried a coldness to it this time, "I will fill out the appropriate paperwork the next day."

"What?" Leland said, scoffing in disbelief.

Nancy's gaze hardened. "We do this and get home," she said, severely, "I think that you've fucked up enough."

"Fine!" Leland spat, "I'll do it myself!"

"Good."

Nancy followed him as he scooped the dead body up by its arms. She wasn't too sure, but she had the feeling that something watched them from the alleys; maybe not police officials, but something a little more darker. She looked over her shoulder and noticed that two shapes disappeared into the darkness. Nancy contemplated following them on the off - chance that they would report this back to her superiors, but she couldn't.

Something told her that she'd be better staying away.

Leland returned home and quickly rushed to the bathroom to splash water on his face. After dabbing his face dry with a towel, he paused to stare at his reflection in the mirror. There was a little droplet of the bum's blood on his jacket and he heaved a small sigh. He did admit that perhaps it could have gone a little better, but what did Nancy expect for him? It was in the heat of the moment and he couldn't very well have time to think about it.

"_Leland … "_

There was that same rattling dry voice again whispering in his head. He furrowed his brow and looked over his shoulder, out into the hallway. It was dark, so it couldn't have been his uncle; still he wasn't about to consider the alternative. It must have been Malcolm. He wasn't going to listen to his head again.

"Malcolm?" he called, "Is that you?"

No reply and there was quiet once again. Leland frowned and looked back to the mirror; the reflection had changed and he was looking at himself with metal hooks and pieces in his mouth, much like the creatures from his mind. It startled him so much; he gave a shout and fell backwards into the bath tub, toppling various bottles in the process. He stayed there gasping in shock before slowly looking back into the mirror's reflection. The horrible illusion was gone, but that still didn't stop Leland from touching his own jaw and flexing it a few times out of reflex.

"Damn … " he murmured, shuddering once before disappearing from the bathroom.

O

The next day, Leland and Nancy had Malcolm's home to themselves and they were sitting in front of the television relaxing. Leland was staring straight ahead; he had his arm around Nancy and she had her head rested on his chest. He could feel a tenseness in her body which he couldn't quite blame her for. After all, she had seen him kill someone. He was quiet for a moment, petting her head gently before he smiled down at her.

"Nancy?" he said.

She was still awake. "Yeah?"

"There's something I would like to know, if it's alright with you," he continued, "It's about your cases on the murderers of this city. It's about the unsolved ones. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about them."

Nancy furrowed her brow and sat up, staring at him with confusion. "Why do you want to know about that?"

Leland continued to smile and shrugged one shoulder. "Can't a boyfriend ask his lady about her job?"

Nancy continued to stare at him with a dumbfounded and suspicious expression. She tilted her head to one side. It was the strangest thing that she had ever heard him say. "You've never asked me before; at least, not in that kind of detail. What's the _real _reason you're asking me anyway?"

"I'm curious."

Nancy heaved a sigh and was quiet for a moment before she nodded. "I'll see what I can find out. I don't think that I can get you too much info. It's a part of my job, you know. Civilians can't really find this stuff out."

"I understand. I just need to know who they are and where they hit." When she glanced sharply at him with concern, he grinned at her playfully, but it still made her feel uncomfortable. "Don't worry; I won't play the hero role here. I just want to make sure where to watch out for should we go out and cross paths with these…people."

The way that he had said the word 'people' sounded rough and disgusted.

"Okay. I'll see what I can find out."

Leland smiled at her. "Thank you."

Nancy got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. Leland sat there alone, smiling devilishly. As she gathered something to drink from the fridge, Leland walked into the den and closed the doors, sitting alone to ponder some things. How would he go about handling this? Things took time, that was certain. He knew that if Nancy couldn't give him much information, then he could always find out by using Ethan Thomas.

"_You always were a defiant little boy, weren't you?"_

The voice was different that what he was used to. Leland closed his eyes and recognized it as the voice of his mother. When he opened them, she was standing there in front of him; she had long blonde hair and was wearing a blood - soaked evening gown. Her eyes were as gray as his and - at least he knew where his looks had come from. She had died when he was a young boy, so he still carried faint memories of her in his head. He couldn't tell if the image of his mother was a trick or not, but right now, he had more important things on his mind.

"Mother, I don't wish to speak to you right now," Leland told the apparition, "I have plans."

Nancy started to enter the den with two glasses filled with tea, but paused and cocked her ear to listen. Leland was on the phone with his mother? She had never heard or had even spoken to his mother before. That was pretty strange to hear it now. She didn't want to interrupt the conversation but eavesdropping wasn't exactly the most honest thing to do. Still, Nancy really couldn't resist the urge to do so.

Mrs. Vanhorn just smiled at her son. _"You have your father's ways in you, son," _she said, _"He was always like that; plan, plan, plan … "_

Leland sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well why is it that I can never speak with him?"

Mrs. Vanhorn walked over and sat down beside him - or more like drifted to him like a ghostly fog. _"Don't blame your father, my son," _she told him, gently, _"When we left; we separated. It's become difficult to speak to anyone these days."_

Leland made a grunting sound.

"_How are things with Nancy?" _his mother asked.

Leland chuckled softly. "Fine. Fine," he replied. "She worries a lot, but I suppose it's best that someone does."

His mother stood up and smiled warmly at him, petting his head with one spectral hand. Of course, he couldn't feel it but he just knew that she was doing it. _"I love you, my son," _she told him, _"Just do what makes you happy."_

Leland smiled up at her. "I will, mother."

Afterwards, Malcolm entered the house carrying several bags of groceries. Nancy quickly put her drinks down on an end table to help him. He smiled and passed a few bags to her.

"Oh, thank you, Nancy!" he said, "I was worried that they'd tear and spill everything all over the street."

Nancy carried the bags into the kitchen and Malcolm followed her. They started to unload the bags and put stuff away into their proper places.

"So, where's Leland?" Malcolm asked.

Nancy shrugged her shoulders. "On the phone with his mother," she answered.

There was a loud shattering sound and Nancy nearly jumped, looking down at the remains of a glass bottle that was once full of apple juice lying at Malcolm's feet. She frowned up at him and he looked at her with a haunted expression. She shrugged her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Malcolm seemed to put a lot of energy into speaking and his words breathed out of him in a strained gasping sound. "That … isn't possible … "

"Why not?" Nancy asked, confused.

"Leland's mother's been dead ever since he was a boy … "

Later that evening, Leland was sitting in a dark, secluded basement, sitting at a table that was surrounded with newspaper clippings, photographs and documents. There were newspapers labeled with press names for every murderer who had ever eluded the police. One in particular read: "THE ROADSIDE CARVER STRIKES AGAIN", another "4th VICTIM FOUND IN SCHOOL DUMPSTER. POLICE TRACK DOWN THE TORTURER." Leland was buried deep in his research, smiling, and his eyes wide with excitement. All this information…every bit of it could help him.

"_Excellent, Leland…You were put on this earth to bring them to justice … " _the voices rumbled, _"Kill them … Kill them all … "_

O

_Two Weeks Later_

Leland fitted his orange maintenance worker overalls on and Nancy watched him from the bathroom, leaning against the doorway. He smiled at her and she bristled where she stood; she was very much on edge today, but that didn't bother him. Not when he had so much that had to be done in so little time.

"Well, dearest Nancy, I will be working late tonight," he said, "Don't wait up for me."

She nodded and looked away, speaking in a flat tone. "Yeah, okay."

Leland tilted his head at her, catching the tone immediately. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't let this go, Leland," Nancy said, softly, "I never brought it up to my boss because I didn't want to see you get hurt, but you killed someone. You're acting like it never happened. It's ... It's creeping me out."

Leland smiled and it wasn't particularly kind. "I heard no objection then when I killed the man who could have killed you."

Nancy wavered a bit and she realized that he was right. "Oh God … you're right … " she gasped, her eyes widening, "I'm pretty much an accomplice … "

Leland placed a hand on her shoulder and brought her close to his chest. Nancy flinched slightly and looked up at him with pain in her eyes. He just continued to smile sweetly at her, but his eyes seemed to hide a different sort of emotion. Nancy could read faces rather easily, but he was different; his eyes were always so clouded.

"Nancy, are you having an okay time at work?" he asked, "No one is pestering you about it, are they?"

"No … "

There was a smile in his voice and he held her close. She felt a sudden chill from the embrace, almost as if he was forcing himself to do it.

"Now see?" he said, petting her head with a single hand, "He wasn't anyone special, Nancy; homeless, alone and a druggie. No one would miss him anyway."

Nancy shut her eyes, feeling sick by his words. "Do you feel bad?"

Leland shrugged his shoulders and pulled away to look at her. His eyes were a bit more red and heavy looking than usual. "No. I might be a little tired, but that's okay."

"So why don't you sleep?"

"I can't. I have so much to do."

There was a small, tentative pause. "Leland?"

"Yes?"

"Would you ever hurt me?"

He knotted his brow and stared at her like she had just insulted him. He searched her gaze for a moment before speaking. "What do you mean?" he asked, "Did my uncle tell you that? Did he tell you that I might hurt you?"

Nancy shook her head. She felt that eerie chill in the air again. "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah … "

Leland smiled broadly at her. The smile made her uneasy because it didn't look as friendly as it used to when they were younger.

"I love you, Nancy, you know that," he told her, "Don'tcha know that?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

Nancy watched as he walked to the apartment door and opened it. He stepped out into the hallway before smiling broadly back at her.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Nancy," he told her.

Nancy waved at him weakly and he shut the door behind him.

Later that evening, Nancy was sitting in front of the television, flipping through channels and eating some leftover Chinese food from the box. She passed channel 10 and left it there for a few moments to listen to Sarah Brenton's news report.

"_The city's crime rate has increased to record breaking levels these passed few years and in most cases, assault with deadly intent, which is now up to 28 percent. Also, there have been many reports of dead birds appearing in city streets and public parks. Some show-"_

Nancy's cell phone suddenly rang and she reached over to her coffee table to pick it up. She flipped it open and brought the receiver to her ear.

"Yo … " she said. "Who's calling?"

"_Hello. Is Nancy's Morello available?" _The voice was mildly aged and male.

Nancy furrowed her brow. "Who wants to know?"

"_This is Manager Gib Farland. I'm with the Metro City Maintenance Department." _

Nancy smiled, relaxing now that she knew who it was. "Oh, yeah, you're Leland's boss," she said, "What can I do for you, Mr. Farland?"

"_Oh, I'm fine. Just fine. I just wanted to know if you were aware that Leland has failed to report to work for two weeks. I am calling to ask if he's alright."_

Nancy looked stunned. "What?"

Gib sounded nervous over the phone. _"You mean, you didn't know?"_

Nancy smiled angrily. "No … I didn't … " She punctuated her words harshly. "But I will find out when I see him again. Trust me, I will."

"_N - Now I don't want to cause a problem with the two of you," _Gib protested, _"I just want him to report back to work and we can forget about all of this."_

Nancy let out a bark of laughter. How this man became the manager of anything was beyond her. He sounded like a frightened child than a leader.

"Trust me, there's already been problems," she told him, "I'm going to find him and see what he's been hiding from me."

"_Miss. Morello, wait … "_

Nancy hung up the phone and ended the message before he could finish. She stood up and grabbed her car keys on the kitchen counter. She wasn't going to let this one slide; not this time. If he was doing anything remotely uncouth or dangerous, she was going to catch him in the act.

O

Nancy drove all around town that evening, carrying a picture of Leland in her wallet and flashing it out to anyone she could catch up with, asking of his whereabouts. So far, though, in the past hour of her searching, no one had seen or heard from him.

"Where the hell did he go?" she protested as she drove.

Nancy was somewhat concerned that he was doing something on the side that he wasn't telling her; cheating on her or anything else like that. But then she knew Leland. He wasn't exactly that kind of guy, but he did seem off a bit these past few weeks, so he was up to some kind of mischief. She had to find him and figure out just what it was that he was up to.

She stopped her car in front of one of his favorite eatery spots; Chang's Chinese Chop and Shop. She walked into the restaurant and approached the front desk where one of the waitresses was sitting. The waitress could tell that Nancy was upset because she immediately stood up and held out a hand.

"Oh! Is you, Miss. Morello!" she greeted, in a thick Asian accent.

"Hey, I need to ask you a few questions," she Nancy demanded, her voice edgier than she wanted it to be, "Like, where the hell is my goddamn boyfriend?"

The waitress wavered at Nancy's tone before she nodded her head rapidly. "You mean little Mr. Vanhorn, yes? Oh, he pick up two box of Low - Mein today! Was in hurry to leave."

Nancy frowned at her. "Did you see where he was going?"

"Hai, I did," the waitress answered, gesturing to the train station across the street, "Saw him take Burnside train to Brier."

Nancy smiled at her and nodded. "Thanks. That's all that I needed to know."

The waitress smiled weakly back, somewhat perturbed by the sudden change in Nancy's behavior and the lack of Leland Vanhorn with her and the tension in the air. Nonetheless, she called after Nancy as she walked out of the restaurant.

"Tell Mr. Vanhorn he still best customer!" she hollered. "Have special egg roll tomorrow!"

Nancy smiled sarcastically at her and drove away. Brier was so far out from the city; she couldn't imagine what Leland would want to do way out there. It was most just farming houses and agricultural, so what would he need out there anyway? She was going to find out.

Driving almost all night was starting to become a problem because Nancy was beginning to get tired, but she had to find Leland. On one side, it was her duty as a police agent and on another, she was worried as well. She noticed movement in the distance, which interrupted her thoughts.

It was Leland.

He was stepping out of the abandoned Apple Seed Orchard Estate house and didn't seem to notice her. Nancy quickly drove her car into a cornfield and dimmed the lights. She reached into her glove compartment and pulled out a set of binoculars and peered through them. She could see Leland still in his maintenance uniform stepping out of the orchard house. He walked casually away toward an old minivan she had never seen him drive before. Nancy watched him go with confusion before slowly and quietly exiting her car. She wanted to know just what he was doing in that old house for the past two weeks.

She crept across the field until she reached the front of the house and attempted to open the door. Fortunately, Leland must have forgotten to lock it somehow and she was able to get inside. The house was entirely in disarray and scraps of paper littered every corner; Nancy noticed a message scrawled on the side of the wall in black ink that read: "_Through the valley of the shadow of death, I will spare no evil."_

Nancy furrowed her brow at the cryptic message and decided to investigate the house for some more clues. She walked into the kitchen and noticed empty Chinese boxes littered all over the counter tops and in the sink. She winced against the horrible smell and held her nose, poking at a few boxes; one thing that Nancy had always hated was horrible odors. Then, a few plates came crashing from the open drawers and Nancy jumped back at the loud, piercing sound. She paused for a long time before heaving a relieved sigh.

Nancy started to go into the dining room when a low moaning sound froze her where she stood. She slowly looked over her shoulder toward another door.

Meanwhile, the minivan that Leland was driving refused to go any further and seemed to shut down in the middle of the road. He gave an angry curse and climbed out to check the engine. There was a heavy cloud of smoke pouring from the cracks of the hood.

"Alright, first rule, Vanhorn … " he muttered, to himself, "Put out the fire."

He pried the hood open before pausing in his actions to look over his shoulder with a frown. Something felt a bit off to him all of a sudden; almost as if he sensed that something was going on in the house that really shouldn't have been going on. He tilted his head, deep in thought, looking back at the house on the horizon.

O

Nancy descended into a darkened basement slowly, listening to the moaning sounds getting louder as she approached what looked like a mirrored armoire. Nancy studied the thing for a moment, trying to make sense of why it was there to begin with.

Outside, Leland was pushing the minivan by keeping one hand through the driver's window and grunting sharply with effort, muttering a few curses and frustrated grunts in the process.

"Useless … piece of … junkyard fodder … !" he yelled, angrily.

Meanwhile, Nancy was still investigating the mirror and glanced along the side of it, noticing that there appeared to be another room on the other side. She carefully pried the mirror aside and noticed that it was not just a mirror, but a door itself.

"Whoa…" she said, surprised.

There was a path that led into a secondary room. Nancy looked around and noticed tables, chairs and spray paint with rolls of duct tape. She noticed a few newspaper articles lying on the table and stared down at it. It was mainly articles about Ethan Thomas; a fellow detective who she rarely had the chance to work with. There were a few cases, but mostly, he was in a completely different area entirely. She also noticed that Leland had circled several of Ethan's case files with a red pen and exclamation points.

"What the hell are you doing, Leland?" she wondered out loud.

There was another moaning sound and Nancy turned; she was shocked to see a man sitting in a chair, wrapped tightly to it with thick rope and duct tape. His arms were bleeding from the tightness of the ropes on his wrist and his head was hanging.

"Oh my God!" Nancy gasped, walking over and bending down, "Shit, are you still with me? Sir?"

The man moaned and lifted his head weakly. His mouth was duct taped shut and had a few bludgeon marks on his forehead and cheeks. He had short greasy black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a black leather jacket with fisherman's overalls and boots. Nancy had never seen him before, but she had a feeling from his profile and the brown minivan that Leland had driven away with led him to be only one person based on profiles:

He was Billy Greene, AKA "The Roadside Carver".

"Oh my God … you're … " she tried.

Billy whimpered softly and made a few mumbles that indicated that he wanted to speak to her. She slowly and carefully peeled the tape back and he gasped for air before looking at her pleadingly.

"He - Help … me … " he begged, "He's … He's going to kill me!"

Nancy nodded anxiously and began to make an attempt to undo the tight bindings. "Don't worry, I'll get you out," she said. Killer or not, he was still a human life.

Billy winced sharply in pain. "Th - They're too tight!" he gasped, "You have to find something to cut them with!"

Nancy nodded again and stood up to look for something that she could use to free him. When she did, she looked up at the sound of the front door above opening and then closing. She gasped in horror and Billy moaned. Leland had come back earlier than either one of them had thought.

"He's back!" he cried, in a hushed voice; he started to struggle in his chair, "No! No, no, no, no!"

Nancy shushed him fiercely and taped his mouth shut again. He whined and stared at her in disbelief.

"I promise, I'll be back for you!" she hissed, "I have to get out of here and find help, but then you'll be okay. So wait just for a little longer!"

Upstairs, Leland was drenched in sweat and he heaved a loud sigh before bending into a cooler to remove a bottle of water. When he opened it and brought it to his lips, he noticed the pile of broken dishes on the floor and furrowed his brow. He placed the water bottle down and approached the broken dish pile, reaching down and picking one up. He studied the dishes for a moment before looking down toward the basement.

Nancy started to walk for the mirror door; she had seen a cellar door when she passed through, so that could be her way out. But when she did, she could hear the sound of Leland's footsteps as he began to descend into the basement. She froze for two minutes before looking around wildly for a hiding place.

Leland entered the room with a tired sigh and looked around for a brief moment; he passed Nancy who was taking refuge behind a flat wooden board leaning against the wall. She poked one eye out through a hole in the wood as Leland approached Bill and chuckled.

"Well, you won't believe this, Billy," he sneered, "That damn piece of crap of a car you have caught fire! I had to drag it to the river and sink it myself."

Bill mumbled weakly.

Leland smiled at him and patted his cheek roughly. "Aww, but that's okay," he continued, "Trains don't run this late at night, so that means we can spend as much time together as we need to!" He finished his sentence by slapping Bill's face particularly hard.

Nancy wanted to do something to stop this, but she had a feeling that if she did, he would do something terrible to her and she'd never get help.

Bill winced when Leland roughly yanked the duct tape from his mouth. He panted heavily before looking up at Leland with desperation. "Wh - Where's … Where's Terry?"

Leland smiled brightly at him. Nancy had never see Leland go this far with violence before and it made her sick to her stomach. She was lucky that she was too stunned to speak, otherwise she would have just screamed.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Bill groaned as Leland approached an object covered in cloth behind him.

Leland made a mocking boo - hoo sound. "Aww, you mean messing up your day?"

"Where's Terry?" Bill demanded in a hysterical shriek.

Nancy had no idea who this Terry was. Bill obviously knew him so he might have been a friend or family member, otherwise he wouldn't have seemed so hysterical about it. Leland just smiled calmly and walked over to Bill's side again.

"Ahh, Terrence Thorpe," he mused, "What a blessing it was running into the infamous 'Taxidermist'. I never met a man of great skill who could do so much with the dead bodies of his victims. It gave me a chance to explore a more creative side that I never knew I had."

Bill moaned weakly. "C - Can I see him?"

Leland smiled brightly once more and grabbed the ends of Bill's chair, turning him around to face the cloth-covered object. "Of course! He's right here with us, after all!"

Bill and Nancy both looked confused as Leland walked to the object and grabbed the cloth. "Behold the man!" he announced, yanking the cloth off.

Nancy nearly threw up and covered her mouth with one hand; Bill screamed in anguish and horror, thrashing in his chair. Standing there was the body of what had used to be Terrence Thorpe; he was wearing bloody suspenders and a torn, red checkered shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His short, tan hair was messy and speckled with blood and his glasses were smashed, hanging slightly crooked on a broken nose. His body was stock still, his expression frozen in a state of permanent horror.

"Oh my God!" Bill cried, panting over and over, "NO! TERRY! Oh God, this isn't real!"

Leland chuckled softly and patted the frozen body's shoulder. "Don't you think that he looks peaceful and natural?" he sneered, laughing loudly with mirth.

Bill whimpered with several weak moans before his features contorted in raw fury. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he screamed, startling a sickened Nancy, "I'll FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Leland suddenly whirled on him and grabbed his jaw tightly with one hand. He spoke quietly this time and much severe.

"Considering the circumstances, I'd be quite careful how you speak to me…" he whispered. A smile touched his lips again. "Now then, I have a present for you!"

Bill didn't want anymore presents and Nancy wasn't sure that she wanted to see anymore. Leland walked over to a desk with a very eerie whistle and removed a collection of photos. He held them up to Bill; they were police photos of several dead women with their throats cut. Bill recognized them all as his own victims.

"Look at them, Billy Greene," Leland sneered, "Look at every one you've killed; every life you've taken by your own blade. Take a good look at them because they're the reason that you're going to die tonight … It's their turn."

Bill was uncertain of what he meant entirely, but when Leland reached over to a table and picked up a wood staple gun, he had a basic idea of what he was going to do. Nancy tore her head away at the sound of the staple gun firing and Bill's tormented screams of pain. When the sounds finally stopped, Nancy peered through the hole again and noticed a gruesome sight of Bill's body horrible riddled with the photos that had been stapled into his flesh.

Bill whimpered with pain as his blood began to gush down his chest and legs. Leland stood back to admire his work and shook his head with pity.

"I cannot see why you chose to do it like this," he muttered, "It's too messy."

Bill's head rolled on his neck and his eyes began to flutter. Leland pulled out his hunting knife and smiled, grabbing Bill's chin and forcing him to look up.

"And now for the final cut ... "

Nancy covered her mouth to hide the scream as Leland sliced the blade of the knife across Bill's throat, tearing through the flesh as if it were made of butter. Sick gurgling sounds escaped Bill's throat with his last dying breath and blood sprayed across the floor. She muffled her choke and small sobbing sound as Leland whistled casually, as if nothing was wrong.

"Well, looks like we're heading down to the river, Mr. Roadside Carver!" he said, in a cheerful voice, "Time is wasting. The police will certainly love this one!"

Nancy waited until Leland disappeared with the man's corpse in his arms and she quickly raced out into the night through the cellar door. When she got to her car parked in the corn, she suddenly threw up.

O

"_He's a sick little imp, Nancy. Do you really want to have this knowledge on your shoulders forever? You can't protect someone like him … Evil men can't be changed … "_

The demon whispered these hideously true words that thrummed in Nancy's heart early morning as she drove to the Vanhorn home. She parked her car in front of the house and entered, noticing that the door was open. She stepped inside and looked cautiously around for Leland.

"Hello?" she called.

"Nancy! I'm in the bathroom!" Leland called from the first floor behind a closed door. Her eyes fell onto it and felt sick by how unusually chipper he was this morning. "I'll be out in a few minutes!"

Nancy nodded and made her voice as convincing as possible. "Okay! I'll just wait out here!"

That gave her some time. Nancy waited until she could hear the sound of running water before looking around for something to block the door with. A chair would hold well enough. She slowly and carefully fitted the chair against the doorknob. She made perfectly sure that Leland wouldn't hear her. It was tricky, but she had to make sure that he wouldn't go anywhere until she could get him some kind of help. LeRue was right about one thing; he had to have someone talk to him and he just wasn't listening to her.

Nancy backed away and listened as the water stopped and Leland attempted to open the door. The knob wriggled slightly before it stopped and he beat on the door.

"Uh, Nancy? What the HELL are you doing?" he asked, surprised. Then, he beat on the door harder and spoke louder this time, anger in his voice. "Hey!" He beat on the door again with a little more force to it. "Nancy, let me out!"

"I'm getting you help, Leland," she said, "You're not well. This way, you can't hurt anyone or yourself."

Leland snarled angrily and she could hear him throwing things into the door this time, attempting to break it down. If he was successful, she was done for. "Why, you stupid, stupid, sissy little girl!" he raged, "You're gonna rat me out?" He paused to hear if she had a response and when she didn't, he shouted out with rage. "DAMN YOU! Let me out right now!"

Nancy decided that being nice wasn't working and she attempted a little more anger herself, despite the effect that his harsh words had on her. She kicked the door with the toe of her foot. "Just shut your mouth and wait for me to get Malcolm! He can probably talk some sense into you! You're not listening to me anyway!"

Quiet for a few seconds before something heavy slammed into the door. Nancy knew he had thrown his shoulder into it and she watched the wood buckle, but still hold strong. It was solid oak. There was no way he'd break it down in one shot. "You little BITCH!" Leland shouted. "Goddamn it! Let me out of here! Open the goddamn door!" He paused and attempted to try a different attempt. His voice was shaking with anger, and that was the giveaway that he wasn't about to change for her. "Nancy, listen. Let me out and I'll forget the whole thing. It'll be just like nothing ever happened…Nancy? Baby? Please?"

"I'm leaving, Leland!" Nancy called, walking to the front door, "Just … stay here and be quiet."

There was a frustrated groan from the other side of the door that reminded Nancy of a wounded animal. "Let me out, come on ... "

Nancy walked out the door, hesitated for a brief moment and sighed as she left the house, leaving Leland alone in the bathroom. He had his face pressed into the door and he slouched there with a soft sound of frustration. "Nancy?" he groaned. He screamed and beat on the door again with his palms over and over. "NANCY!"

Nancy drove through the city to the Inner Borough Office buildings where she knew Malcolm was working. She didn't even bother to explain to the security guard why she was there, but she flashed him her badge and he was willing to push her through to Malcolm, who was sitting in his office working on paperwork.

"Nancy?" he said, looking up, "What's going on?"

Nancy was breathless. "Malcolm, I don't have much time," she said, "I locked Leland in the bathroom, but I'm not sure how long it will hold. I need you to come home and - "

Malcolm stood up and started walking to the door. "Nancy, I'm really busy and I don't have time for another—Wait, whoa, whoa!" He suddenly stopped when he realized what she had said and looked at her with shock. "What did you do to Leland?"

"I locked him in the bathroom," Nancy repeated, "But I have a good reason! I followed him out to the old Apple Seed Orchard outside in Brier and found … " She trailed off and moaned weakly, feeling as if she was going to throw up again from what she had seen. "Oh God … Oh my God … " After a few moments of collecting her thoughts, she grabbed Malcolm by his coat and tugged. "I need you to be the voice of reason here!"

Malcolm looked tense and glanced over his shoulder to be sure that no one was listening. Then, he looked at Nancy and spoke in a grave, soft whisper.

"Alright, let's go."

Leland was lying on the bathroom floor after several hours of ranting and screaming; he was leaning against the bathtub, asleep. The door was covered with scratches and the object that he had used was a razor blade in an attempt to cut his way out. He had tired himself and gave up; taking a nap. But the voices woke him.

"_Leland…we can see that you have difficulty handling the situation…"_

He blinked dazedly and shook his head. His lips tightened with restrained fury. "No … Nancy just … needs time to understand … "

"_We fear that your heart may not be into this, Leland," _the voices continued; the light in the bathroom seemed to dim each time they spoke, _"We fear…you may not have the stomach for it."_

Leland chuckled quietly, his reddened eyes glittering with madness. "Oh, then I will be happy to say that I can prove you otherwise … trust me!"

"_Then do what you must to be free, Leland Vanhorn … " _the voices hissed, _"Find your freedom through the doors … "_

Leland's eyes landed on the pins that held the door in place. He smiled fiendishly.

O

Traffic was murder on the way home, but Nancy returned to the Vanhorn's house with Malcolm in tow. She had explained everything that had happened and Malcolm, heavily disturbed, decided that it was best to try and find Leland some help. But when they returned to the house, Nancy was horrified to see the bathroom door completely off its hinges. The chair that she had put there was bent and when she took a closer look, she had noticed that the pins had been taken out of the hinges.

"That clever son of a bitch!" she gasped.

Malcolm looked around cautiously. "Leland?" he called, "Leland, come out. Let's talk about this. Please, nephew. We just want to help you."

Nancy entered the kitchen and looked around for him. "Leland? Hey, rat face, get out here." She softened slightly. "Come on. Don't do this. I know you're here." She paused for a moment. "Leland, I saw what you did. Do you really think that it's okay to do things like that? It's not. You're sick right now and you need our help." She noticed the back porch door widen open and walked over to it, peering into the darkness. She had hoped that he hadn't escaped and already attempted a feat of killing any more of the serial killers out there like she feared. "Leland!"

A shadow passed behind Nancy and before she could react, an arm went around her throat and she felt the sharp tip of a knife against her skin. Nancy stared down in horror at the long, dangerous blade in the hands of Leland. He smirked coldly down at her.

"Miss me?" he hissed.

"Oh my ... Thaaaaaat's a big knife ... " she stammered.

Leland looked up as soon as Malcolm entered the kitchen and his grip on Nancy tightened. "Leland!" Malcolm shouted; there was now horror printed on his wrinkled features, "No … Don't ... Don't do this! Let her go."

Nancy groaned and struggled to breathe, gripping Leland's arms. "What ... are you doing?" she choked.

Leland smirked angrily down at her and made a gesture with the tip of his knife, inches from her face. She barely felt it brush against her skin. "I don't know, Nancy. What am I doing?" He gestured to Malcolm with a flick of his wrist. "Why don't you just ask my dear uncle? ASK THE PRO!"

Malcolm studied Leland's wild, bloodshot eyes and his messy hair. He stared at his nephew pleadingly. "Leland, look at me, boy," he pleaded, "Nancy was trying to help you. She loves you, Leland. You wouldn't hurt her. We both know that."

Leland looked down at Nancy and brandished the knife in her face again, smirking. It seemed as if he wasn't about to listen to reason after all. "You know, I think Little - Miss - Perfect was scheming against us the whole time, Uncle Malcolm, I WOULDN'T BE SO FRIENDLY!" He yelled the last sentence in Nancy's ear.

Nancy coughed and gritted her teeth. "Come ON! You got it wrong! I ... never turned my back on you!"

Leland rolled his eyes before bringing his lips close to her ear and whispering very slowly, punctuating each word sharply. "Well. You. Locked. Me. Up."

"Leland, please!" Nancy begged, gritting her teeth, "Just give me a chance!"

Leland scoffed and shook his head, pretending to think. "Oh, another one? Gee, I don't know, Nancy," he sneered; his voice sounded broken, borderline hysterical, "See, I'm going way, way, way, way out there from where you live where you are pretty much a goddamn queen!"

Malcolm reached out with two hands, approaching him cautiously. Leland backed up with Nancy when he did. "Leland. You don't want to do this. Not to Nancy. You care too much about her. You've been friends since children. Don't do this."

Leland rubbed his cheek roughly against Nancy's in a cruel mockery of affection. His stubble rubbed harshly against her smooth, pristine skin. "Aww, I think that he's scared for you luv muff, huh?" he drawled.

"Leland Vanhorn, stop this now!" Malcolm shouted.

Leland seemed to consider something, his face a mask of deep thought. He looked down at Nancy before smiling contemptuously and releasing his grip on her. She coughed a bit, leaning against the counter top and rubbed her neck before turning as Leland bolted from the house and into the night. She attempted to follow him, but Malcolm put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let him go." he said.

Nancy looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

Malcolm shook his head. "I think he needs time; time to think things over. Maybe our interference will make things worse." He looked at her gently. "Let me find someone who can help stop him." He watched a doubtful, worried look cross her face. We'll bring him back, Nancy. I promise."

_"No. It's going to get worse regardless, Nancy .. ." _

Nancy looked over and noticed the demon standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter top. An older version of what she had seen as a child; the creature still refused to go away, despite all manner of rebuke. Its voice was taunting her, like it new what she wasn't supposed to know.

Maybe she was going crazy, like everyone else in this messed-up city.


	5. Part Four

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish. **  
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"_Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part Four**

_Metro City_

_"Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm."_

-Proverbs Chapter 3 30

Ethan wasn't thrilled.

"What the HELL are you talking about?"

Nancy had spent nearly an hour trying to explain to him what was going on with his new investigation task, but Ethan wasn't really happy about where he was going. Weismann Office Building was in a bad side of town; well, then again, most of the entire city was bad.

"Look, I'm just telling you what Farrell told me!" she told him, "Don't shoot the messenger."

Ethan sighed impatiently and stood up from his desk. He brushed passed her to peer out into the offices before grabbing her arm. Before she could protest, he practically dragged her down the halls and into Senior Forensic Analyst Derek Jones' office. He quickly closed the door and spun around, looking at her with a grave expression on his face. Nancy returned the look and blinked, a surprised look on her face because Ethan had never looked at her like that before.

"Ethan, we're in Derek's office," she protested, "He's going to be back from break any time now."

He waved her off at that before speaking.

"Nancy, something really weird's going on around here," he said, softly, "The city's crumbling apart, but I don't think that it's just the drugs."

Nancy stared at him cluelessly for a moment before she began to wonder what Ethan knew. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Come on, Nancy," Ethan said, sternly, "I know there's more to you than you're letting on. You see things that I do."

Nancy looked started for a moment. She looked around briefly before leaning forward. "What do you know?" she asked, softly.

Ethan waved that off. "Look, forget it!" he snapped, "I just need to know if you're on my side!"

Nancy chuckled and sensed something in the air; a change in temperature that made this meeting seem a little more uncomfortable. "Yeah, sure," she said, "Of course I'm on your side, Ethan. I have no reason to go against you."

Ethan nodded his head, but he still seemed doubtful about something that Nancy wasn't too sure about. It made her feel a bit wary about the whole situation, but when she left the office, she noticed that Dorland was watching her from across the hallway with a deeply focused look on his face. He said nothing to her but walked away before Nancy could say anything. She looked at Ethan for a moment and sighed.

"I'd watch that guy if I were you." she said.

O

"Hello, pretty."

The greasy features of Edward Kraft appeared through the window of his Oldsmobile. A common man with shady eyes and blackened hair; he was dressed in a brown, clean suit. It was a look that most would never suspect him being a mass murderer. Many women admired and respected him because they had no idea what he did on the side. No idea what kind of monster he truly was.

Ed hated things. Not just any things really. He had a deep loathing for women. Not that he was gay or anything like that. It was more complicated than the authorities made it out to be. Ed hated women because they were conniving, manipulative and sneaky little shrews. His mother had taught him that. In a sense, Ed had issues that stemmed from her abuse on him. She would beat him with paddles; call him a dirty little girl.

Fucked up, anyone would say.

Ahhh, what was it that the media called him? The Hitcher Killer. Well, it wasn't very original, but Ed did like nicknames.

The woman standing outside seemed different. She dressed a little more formally and didn't flash much skin, but Ed knew that she was just another filthy whore. That's what they all were deep down inside. He had watched her leave the bar laughing like a drunken slut that she was. He would have to play it cool, just like he always did. It worked before and it would work again.

"Hi. You're kinda cute!" she said.

Ed smiled with pleasure. They always started with that. All he would have to do was get her into the car and that would be it. She would be his.

"Do you need a ride?" he asked.

She was still drunk and under alcoholic influence, so she just smiled and nodded, opening the passenger door. She slid right into the warm, comfortable seat and crossed her legs with a frustrated sighing sound.

"Ahhh, my goddamn boyfriend left me out there!" she muttered. "Some gentleman he is, huh?"

Ed smiled warmly at her, hoping she would eat up the ruse for as long as he needed her to. "Don't worry," he assured her, playing the same charm as before, "You're in good hands." As he drove off, he did not see Leland standing at the street corner, watching him with a predatory smile.

O

It was always messy.

Ed hated dealing with the mess, but that was one of the flaws of his job; cleaning up the trash. Being an every - day pawn shop owner wasn't ringing in much revenue, so after he would kill them and dispose of their bodies, he would search their possessions and take whatever he thought was valuable. The woman had a lot of nice things on her too; a gold watch, some rings and even more, a beautiful pocket knife with wolf designs on it. He wanted to keep that one for his own personal use though. In a few rare occasions, there were some things that were just too good to sell.

A loud knock at the front window jolted Ed from his daydream. There stood the shadow of a man on the steps, standing behind the barred doors. He didn't even know that it was Leland Vanhorn standing on the other side.

"Hey! Take a hike!" Ed hollered, "We're not open!"

There was another loud knock. The sound was repetitive and irritating.

"Are you deaf, asshole?" Ed shouted, "We. Are. Closed!"

Leland whistled slightly, a cat call noise. "Hello, pretty!"

Ed froze at that. Someone knew about his phrases? He slowly reached behind the counter and pulled out a loaded shotgun, beginning his advance to the front door of the shop. His hands shook and his forehead had begun to sweat. No one had to know. Not a single one.

"Get the fuck away from the door, asshole," he warned, "I will blow your damn brains out here and now!"

Suddenly, the entire glass door shattered from a ferocious kick and Leland stepped through it. He grinned broadly, his eyes filled with madness. "Knock - knock ... "

Ed retreated back to avoid the glass that rained down on him, inches from his face. A heavy hand clamped down onto his wrist, inches before he could recover and retaliate. He cried out as the loaded weapon was wrenched harshly from his hand. Rubbing his sore wrist, he looked up as Leland emptied the shells into his hand and deposited them into his jacket pocket with an amused chuckle.

"What do you want?" Ed demanded.

Leland shrugged his shoulders. "I was hoping maybe you can tell me."

Ed swallowed hard, trying not to piss himself. Women were one thing; easy to control and weak. Men like this were another; men with power in their voice. But he wasn't about to let anyone take him down without some kind of fight, so he attempted to sound as threatening as possible.

"You can't trespass in my store, shit head," he snapped. He gestured to his door. "Or break my fucking door!"

Leland smiled at him, even going as far as looking back at the door once. "I think I just did."

Suddenly, Leland lunged for him too quick for a possible recover and Ed was thrown completely across the shop into several shelves. They collapsed to the floor, throwing objects of every shape and size across the floor. Leland gestured to the objects and kicked a few of them aside.

"All of this! Every bit of profit you have ever made ... " he hissed, "Each piece is a life you have taken! Each piece drenched in blood!" He watched Ed moan and writhe on the floor in pain. "I know you, Edward Kraft; you enjoy beating them first. Spanking them in a way to leave them raw and sobbing for your mercy. Then … then you start by cutting … " He uttered a wicked chuckle. "Ahhh … Yes! The cutting! You sever the nerves at the ankles so they cannot hope to run! Oh, maybe that's something I should try! It could be fun, couldn't it?"

Ed struggled to his feet and tripped, crawling behind the counter to gather his knife. As he turned to swipe blindly, Leland suddenly appeared behind him, grinning wickedly, grabbing his knife arm with one hand.

"Oh poor Mister Ed!" he sneered, "You should really watch the shadows a bit more!" He punched Ed directly in the nose.

The man stumbled back as blood gushed from his broken nose. He dropped the knife of the counter top and that was when Leland took that chance. He grabbed the knife in one hand, Ed's neck in the other and stabbed the blade clear through his hand, pinning him to the wooden counter. Ed screamed in agony, but Leland covered his mouth with the other hand, silencing the screams to whimpers of total pain. Leland stared down at him, peering into those frightened eyes.

"You think because they are no longer alive, the dead have no claim to your soul? Oh, you are mistaken, my friend." He tilted his head with a grin, giggling with macabre excitement. "Do you like how brutality feels, Ed? How it feels to be helpless and scared just as your victims have felt?"

Ed mumbled something that Leland had no interest in learning. "Let us see just how far you can go before you beg _me_ for mercy..."

O

"Oh shit ... "

Nancy was standing among the gore of the scene with her fellow SCU officers, stunned and silent.

The man had been stripped almost completely to the bone save for his underwear and tied to several bed posts facing down. There looked to be welts lining his back, legs and arms as well as multiple knife wounds around his throat where he looked to have been bled out, made to choke on his own blood.

"Can anyone make an ID?" Dorland groused.

Nancy had never liked Dorland. His head was always so far up Farrell's ass, it wasn't even funny. But she tolerated him and his uppity attitude for now. He wasn't even supposed to be on her case, but nonetheless, he was sent there with them along with LeRue. Nancy always noticed that they were never assigned to Ethan Thomas to work along with him, which she always found strange, but never really pointed it out to anyone. One man working on a case alone seemed rather dangerous, yet somehow, he had always managed.

Nancy was carrying her field kit on hand and approached Dorland. "I've done my research and it looks like the victim is Edward Kraft, Caucasian; age 29. He owns the pawn shop down the street, making quite a good buck on junk."

Dorland scoffed and looked up at the mess of gore before he looked at Nancy again. "Any clue as to why anyone would want him dead?"

Nancy shrugged her shoulders. "Until Rosa brings back those tests, no."

Dorland nodded and his COM link beeped. He turned and tapped the end. "Yes sir." He paused while he listened to Farrell's message. "Of course sir. Yes, I'll tell her." He turned to Nancy again. "Farrell wants you on the Matchmaker case with Rosa and Ethan. I told him I'd escort you."

Nancy laughed with a snort and closed her briefcase. "Tell me, how's the weather?"

"What?"

"Living so far up north of the director's ass."

Dorland smiled angrily at her and he could hear a few of the officers' scattered, hidden laughter behind him. "It's actually kind of nice. You should try it sometime."

Nancy rolled her eyes. She started for his car that was parked against the curb. "Fine, I'll go!" She pointed an angry finger back at him, stepping over a pile of broken glass. "But I'm going to smoke in your car with the window up and you can't say shit about it!"

Dorland made a disgusted face and followed behind her. While they drove away from the crime scene, two more SCU officers were investigating a crudely, blood-painted X over the bed of the victim. Several cameras flashed as they took pictures.

"This is the third hit in your 'hood in twenty - four hours!" Dorland snapped, as he followed Nancy to his car.

Nancy sighed and looked at him skeptically and pretended like she had no real idea what he was getting at. "This guy had a case of setting shit on fire. Looks like he got way in over his head and a few gangs got a hold of him," she told him, "Case closed."

Dorland glared at her. "Bullshit," he snapped, climbing into the driver's seat, "You're holding out on me. I got a god-damned vigilante killer knocking off scum - bags left and right. And you're covering up for somebody."

Nancy faked a laugh but inside, she felt sick as she climbed into the passenger side. "Hey, you're the 'senior officer' here. Why don't you tell me?" she said.

"Okay. Edward Kraft's shop gets trashed, and you're having a chitchat on the side with someone that I have no idea about. Then you steal one of my case files from homicide, and you're saying this is just a goddamn gang-related shit story? C'mon!"

Nancy smiled sarcastically. "Yeah, basically," she replied, "But that was a good speech though. I didn't want to interrupt you - it sounded good. You gotta write that shit down."

Dorland's eyes narrowed at her. "Okay, smart ass, you're not permitted to do anything else until we find this guy, do you understand?" he warned, "Or one of these days, you're going to wind up working a school crosswalk."

Nancy scoffed. "Like I do anything else anyway!"

Dorland snorted. "Good. Then it works out for all of us!"

Nancy made a disgusted sound and stayed quiet for most of the drive.

O

"So what exactly is with you charming attitude lately?"

Nancy had no desire to talk with Dorland again right now, especially with the mood she was in. He wanted to do so perhaps to take his mind away from the cloud of smoke that filled his car. People were dying left and right in the city every day and now with Leland gone, she was worried that she'd find his body in a gutter somewhere. Smoking like a furnace wasn't going to help her, but she had too much stress to care right now.

"I'll tell you what I told the last fourteen people who asked me that same stupid question: None of your goddamn business," she snapped, staring down at her field kit, waiting and wishing for Rosa to respond.

Dorland made a disapproving sound. He wasn't going to bother with it anymore. "Fine ... "

Nancy sighed impatiently and sat back in her seat. "The point of having a person back at SCU to give you info is that she fucking answers when you need her!"

"She's been booked full lately with these string of murders," Dorland replied, "You can't blame her for that."

Nancy gave him a dirty look before they pulled up in front of Bart's Department Store. It was an abandoned building that they knew was filled with drug users and rioters. Not to mention it had become a haven for the homeless. The two climbed out of the car with their weapons in hand; Dorland an Assault Rifle and Nancy with a semi - automatic handgun. The two carefully watched the area to make sure that there were no nasty surprises waiting for them.

"Where's Agent Thomas?" Dorland muttered, "He should have been here by now!"

Just then, Nancy's field kit beeped and she pulled it out of her pocket to find Rosa's face staring back at her. She looked very flustered and concerned, like she had been running for a while. "It's about damn time!" Nancy muttered, "What do you got for me, Rosa?"

Rosa shook her head and took a deep breath. _"In a minute; right now we have bigger problems!"_

"Terrific," Dorland and Nancy said together.

"_Agent Thomas' weapon was reported stolen by the Matchmaker," _Rosa told them, _"There was a shooting at Weisman Office Building and two officers were reported killed on sight."_

"Who?" Nancy asked.

"_Detective Dickenson and Officer Becker."_

Dorland looked around before staring impatiently down at the image of Rosa. "Rosa, get to the point."

"_The point is," _Rosa continued, with an edge to her voice, _"Ethan is being accused of killing them. It was his weapon that was fired on the spot."_

Nancy looked stunned. "Shit!"

Dorland nodded with determination. "We will locate Agent Thomas and bring him in for questioning."

Rosa shook her head and leaned forward in the tiny screen. _"No! You don't understand! It wasn't Ethan who shot them!"_

Dorland glared down at her. "It doesn't really matter if he shot them or now. All I know is that right now, we have two officers are dead because of him. When I find Agent Thomas, I WILL bring him in, one way or another." He leaned forward and pressed a button on Nancy's field kit, ending the conversation. He gave her a look and gestured to the building. "Let's move."

O

Nancy moved slowly through the department store on the first floor with Dorland on the other side. She couldn't stop staring at the strange, slightly aged mannequins standing against the walls and windows, watching her with white, empty eyes. Nancy frowned suspiciously at them before she looked back at the sight of someone running down a hallway and gave chase.

"SCU, stay where you are!" she commanded.

Nancy ran passed a wall that read: "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match" and she darted into an empty room where the subject had run into. She looked around to see if she could find him. There were a few chairs, newspapers and old Christmas decorations everywhere. She frowned and behind her, the door was slowly creaking shut. Nancy turned and there stood a tall, almost balled man with a wicked facial scar across his left cheek that ran into his nose; he was wearing a green sweater over a messy, almost yellow button shirt and dirty pants. He smiled at her and gestured around the room. In one hand, he held a coil of chain.

"It's amazing ... " he hissed, in a dry, sick voice, "I don't always have to lure them here ... "

Nancy backed away from him, realization on her face. This was not the place she wanted to be to cross paths with this serial killer. "You're the Matchmaker ... "

He smiled broadly, showing his rows of yellow, disgusting teeth. "Yes. Some might call me that." He began wrapping the coil of chain around his fingers and Nancy knew that he was going to use it on her without a doubt. "Now this won't hurt too much ... I could chop you up into 40 pieces, but that would be too much like the Bone Cutter, wouldn't it? No … this has to be very special."

Nancy pointed her gun at him and stood strong. "Stay back!" she commanded, "I mean it! I won't say it again!"

The Matchmaker refused to acknowledge her demands and he swung the chain into her hand, knocking the gun completely out of her hands, striking the bone in the process. She had squeezed the trigger at that precise moment with a shout of pain to follow, sending a round off into the ceiling, which caught Dorland's attention. He looked over his shoulder with a curse.

"Nancy!" he shouted, running toward the direction of the sound.

The Matchmaker was stooped over Nancy with the length of chain pressed into her throat; he grinned at her, a sadistic and ugly grin. "How will I come to display you, my dear?" he whispered, "I have been known to be VERY creative in situations like this."

Nancy was losing oxygen and she felt like if she didn't hurry, this asshole was going to kill her. Her eyes rolled up in her head and her world began to darken.

Suddenly, the room door flew open and she felt the heavy weight of the Matchmaker abruptly leave her body. He gave a shout of surprise. "Get off me, you dead beat!" he shouted, to an unseen assailant, "She's mine!"

"You've touched her once, but never will you do so again ... " a familiar voice snarled.

Nancy struggled to regain her senses, coughing and struggling to sit up on her elbows. She watched as the Matchmaker was dragged away by someone, kicking and screaming. Nancy moaned and struggled to stand. She had to catch whoever was behind "saving her", but her body wouldn't cooperate with her from the assault. She looked up as Dorland rushed into the room with his weapon at the ready. He grabbed her arm and forced her to her feet, checking for any signs of injuries.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Nancy groaned weakly and gestured toward the door. "The … M - Match ... maker ... " she breathed, through several stifled coughs, "Catch him!" She gave him a push. "Go! I'll be fine!"

Dorland nodded and pursued the assailant in the direction that she had indicated, leaving Nancy stunned and weary to regain her strength. She had barely heard the voice of her savior, but her gut told her that she already knew who it was anyway.

And she was scared.

O

It was useless trying to find someone half sane in this city, but Nancy had to manage one way or another. She wasn't taking any chances since the Matchmaker almost had the drop on her. She exited the abandoned building and looked around for Ethan, hoping he'd show up soon.

"Goddamn it, Rosa!" she shouted, through her headset, "Where's Ethan?"

When two teenage boys emerged from the back of Bart's Department Store in full-out running, she pointed her gun at them. One was wearing denim and a bandana, the other wearing a leather jacket and ripped jeans with muddy cowboy boots. They looked like trouble at first glance and Nancy wasn't about to get jumped again.

"Spread your shit! Get on the ground!" she commanded. Surprisingly, they obeyed at the first command and sprawled out on the ground in front of her, "I have a loaded gun, boys! Ready to go! Spread your shit! Put those pussies on the pavement, you two!"

"Ma'am, listen!" one of them cried, "We're not like those psychos! We're just trying to get the hell out of here!"

"Shut it!" Nancy snapped, too stressed out to even listen to excuses at the moment, "What are your names?"

"I'm Mike!" the teenage boy wearing denim said. He gestured to the other boy in the leather jacket who was gnawing nervously on one of the strings of his sweater beneath the leather. "This is my brother Joey!"

Nancy began to pat them down quickly, checking for any weapons. She stopped at Mike and felt something in his back pocket. Reaching inside, she removed what looked like a homemade pipe bomb. She glared down at him and leveled the weapon in his face. He stared at it before grinning warily at her.

"Wow ... where'd that come from?" he stammered.

Nancy glared at him until gunfire from Bart's Department Store filled the air. She looked up toward the building and the two boys took that chance while she was distracted to scamper away from her before she could think to stop them. She watched them go with frustration before looking up toward the building, wondering what the hell was going on in there. Just then, the fire escape door flew open and she was shocked to see Leland running out from it. He wasn't paying attention and collided harshly into her, sending them both falling to the ground.

"Why you stupid, brainless…" he began, furiously. When he noticed who it was, he looked surprised. "Nancy? What the hell are you doing out here?"

Nancy smiled angrily and shrugged her shoulders. "I just thought I'd come and admire the sights and-WHAT THE HELL ARE _YOU_ DOING OUT HERE?"

Leland looked over his shoulder before starting to go. "I have further business I must attend to. Go home."

"Are you out of your mind?" Nancy demanded, grabbing his arm to stop him, "There's a fucking band of murderers running around and you're just going to ... " She cut herself off when she felt something warm in her hand and looked down at his jacket sleeve. There was fresh blood soaked all over the sleeve and when she studied his face, she noticed that there were some flecks of it across his cheek. Nancy staggered back, her eyes widening with realization. "Oh my God ... "

Leland shook his head, his gaze cold. "I don't expect you to understand, Nancy," he said, "Nor do I have to explain myself to you. These people, these animals will continue to kill and hurt people like you. Good people who deserve better. I am going to hunt them down like the animals they are, and they are going to feel the pain and suffering of every last victim! They are going to crawl on their hands and knees, and they're going beg me for mercy. The mercy they never graced their victims with."

Nancy frowned and her eyes were pleading; she was hoping to reach into him to get him to stop. "They're addicts, Leland; they're all just sick," she told him, "It takes time, but they can recover, just like anyone else."

Leland chuckled cynically and gestured around him with a broad sweep of his arm. "Wake up, Nancy! These people have no respect for the lives that they destroy. They have no respect for themselves so there is no helping them! Only one way will stop their reign of murder, and that is the way I have made it to be."

"No, that's not true!" Nancy cried.

Leland's voice and features hardened. "Hey, you asked for this!" he shouted, pointing at her. "You chose your precious little job at the bureau, and Malcolm over me so whatever happens is YOUR FAULT!"

Nancy shook her head desperately. "This isn't you, Leland!" she pleaded. "Please stop!"

Leland stared at her emptily. Nancy read no shame in his eyes; he wouldn't stop. There was no way that he was going to stop now, not after everything that he had done. "I can't..." He looked up at the sound of gunfire before staring hard at her once more. He wasn't about to stick around and get shot at by those influenced drug sniffers. He turned to go, but not before looking back at her with a cold smile. "See you around."

And then, he disappeared around the corner of the alley, leaving her stunned and alone.

"_Nancy … We need to talk … "_ the demon whispered, sitting on top of a trash can, _"Lately, I have been feeling very left out … Watching you hang out with your cool … new friends … "_

Nancy moaned and shook her head. "He's already done it again … I can't get him to listen … "

The demon stood up and walked up to her. It watched the direction that Leland had gone and heaved a gentle sigh. _"So he has … " _it said, _"Well, it seems that you have only two choices, Nancy. You either do your job, or you help the little murderer."_

Nancy had no idea what to do.

O

"_Didn't I warn you?"_

Nancy moved slowly through the old Central Metro Station, hoping to catch up to Leland and maybe even reason with him. The demon that stalked her was constantly surveying her every movement overtop a few light fixtures and posts with the grace of a bird.

"I thought I told you to go away!" Nancy ordered, pointing a finger up at the thing.

The demon chuckled, its eye moving wildly with mirth. _"I won't ever go away, Nancy. Still in denial after all these years? Afraid you're going to cut your wrists if you listen to me? ... "_

"I'm not listening to this ... " Nancy spat, "You may fool everyone else in this fucked up city, but I know you're not real."

The demon chuckled softly. _"Oh you claim that I'm not real and yet here I am. Here I have been all of your life." _The creature sighed deeply, almost sadly. _"They want you to experience this, Nancy. You should have figured it out by now."_

Nancy frowned suspiciously and tilted her head to one side, studying the demon. "Who's this 'they' you keep talking about?" she demanded.

"_That is something you have to discover on your own, I'm afraid," _the demon replied.

Nancy scowled angrily and looked back as three drug - influenced squatters began to rush for her, shouting and spitting with that mindless fury that she remembered from the other homeless man who tried to kill her. These guys were armed with rusted pipes, pieces of nail - studded wood boards and knives. Nancy raised her gun to them.

"Stay back!" she ordered, "I SAID BACK!"

They did not acknowledge the order and instead continued to charge for her like a herd of rabid elephants.

Nancy had no choice.

She squeezed round after round into the three thugs, taking three shots, one at each one of their heads with expert precision. Their heads exploded in red gore and brain matter. They went down with screams of agony and were still. Nancy lowered her smoking gun, staring down at the lifeless bodies with shaken horror.

"Oh shit ... " she panted.

Her COM filtered through static before Dorland's voice filled her ear. _"AGENT MORELLO! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GO TO?"_

Nancy took a deep breath before speaking, attempting to calm her voice and sound somewhat sane. "Dorland, I thought ... " She paused and tried to consider a very convenient story before finally answering. "I thought that I found the suspect. I had to chase him down to the Central Metro Station."

"_Roger that! Keep on your toes, Morello. I want you to meet up with LeRue outside the station, do you understand? I will rendezvous with you later!"_

Nancy sighed. "Roger ... "

O

Ethan didn't like the idea of being in this library as much as Rosa did, but he needed to find out everything about the Torturer. He had lost contact with Nancy, so he had to figure that she was on another mission.

Rosa walked down the desolate hallway, her eyes occasionally looking around warily for signs of thugs.

"Scavengers looking for parts to sell - or just maniacs destroying things," she said, "We have to find a terminal that isn't damaged."

Ethan was distracted with drawed - on eyes on a corner of the wall. While Rosa was checking every door to see if they were open, he noticed a peculiar metallic piece wedged into the wall with the eyes. Curious, he plucked it with ease from the wall and turned it around in his hands for study. It looked like it had been damaged, but there were symbols carved into it that didn't look natural in any way. He pocketed the piece for later.

"Hello!" Rosa suddenly said, stopping in front of a door, "Looks like someone left the master key in the lock." She opened it and gestured with one hand. "You search this office. I'll take that one over there. Look for a computer that's in working order."

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Rosa walked to a room across the hall and Ethan stepped inside the unlocked room. It was dark inside and there looked to be no signs of anyone around. Ethan carefully stepped past the rows of cubicles and suddenly froze in place.

There was an eerie chill in the air and Ethan suddenly felt dizzy. The world around him flickered between black and white and he saw something walk silently behind a desk. There was a painful rattling sound that reminded Ethan of a rattle snake.

"Thomas, what's wrong?" Rosa shouted from somewhere, "I can't get in! The door's jammed!"

She sounded like she was so far away from him-standing in a tunnel somewhere. Ethan covered his ears with two hands to try and block out the horrible noise. He wasn't lucky to have a moment's reprieve because two thugs were coming his way.

"Oh shit!" Ethan cried.

He quickly pulled out his handgun and squeezed off several rounds into the thugs, piercing their chests and knocking them clear off of their feet. The sounds seemed to intensify for a few brief moments and Ethan held his head with a weak groan of pain. And just as suddenly as the sounds had came, they stopped. Ethan looked around with shock and then, he heard the sound of glass shattering. He quickly walked around the cubicles to see a desk chair lying on the floor and Rosa leaning in through a broken window.

"I told you we weren't alone," she said, carefully.

Ethan sighed and relaxed his shoulders. "Yeah, we should get moving."

Rosa nodded, although she looked to be bothered by something. "Come on. I found a working computer."

Ethan climbed through the broken window and followed Rosa across the hallway to another office room. He couldn't help but glance over his shoulder, half expecting to see that strange figure as he had been seeing for a while now.

Rosa's voice snapped him out of his daydream.

"It's a search engine specific to the library," she said, gesturing to the computer, "Just type in The Torturer's name and we should get the latest info from the local news, including broadcast feeds."

Ethan nodded and resumed his focus on the task at hand. He stooped over the computer and typed in THE TORTURER. When he did, a bright red box flashed on the screen that read CONNECTION ERROR. NETWORK SERVICE DOWN. Rosa scoffed in disbelief.

"Dammit. Can anything else go wrong?" she snapped, "We'll have to find the server room and get the network back."

Ethan sighed and looked up. Rosa was no longer standing beside him this time. He furrowed his brow and looked around.

"Rosa?" he called, "Rosa!"

He quickly rushed back out into the hallway to look for her, but she was gone. Ethan gave an angry curse and then, his phone rang loudly, shattering the eerie stillness. He picked it up and Rosa's voice didn't answer it. It was the same man that he had met at Weisman Office Building and he sounded like he was tired and putting an effort to speak.

_"Well Thomas, you're certainly not as much help as I thought you'd be..." _He paused briefly. _"I was thinking - OW! GOD - BITCH!"_

The phone conversation abruptly ended.

"Rosa? Rosa! Are you there?" Ethan shouted.

Meanwhile, Leland's hand was dripping with blood and he was dragging Rosa down the hallway with one arm around her neck. She struggled to keep up with his pace, but he was walking too fast for her and her legs kicked out wildly beneath her.

"Stupid ... Stupid ... Little ... Bitch ... Bite my hand, will you?" he snarled, glaring back at her, "All you had to do was make it EASY on yourself and tell me what I wanted to know, but you couldn't even do that ... COULD YOU?"

Rosa choked and struggled to breathe beneath his grip. He dragged her into the Rare Books section of the library and shoved her into a chair, facing a computer. Rosa groaned with pain and when she attempted to rise, Leland shoved her harshly into the chair again.

"Here ... Let's make you a little more COMFORTABLE."

He shoved her hard into the table and Rosa winced sharply with pain as the table nearly crushed her insides. "What do you want?" she demanded.

Leland grabbed her roughly by her jaw and forced her to look back at the computer. "I want the Torturer," he hissed, "And you will hand him to me on a plate. Log into your account so that I - LOOK AT ME! - Log into your account and give me everything about him."

Rosa glared up at him. "You're out of your mind."

Leland smiled at her coldly and leaned forward undaunted by her words. "If you breathe a single word to your comrades at SCU about any this, then the only sounds you will hear will be the crows picking away at your rotting corpse."

Rosa grimaced in unease at the threat; she had a feeling that it was no where near empty either. His bloodshot eyes were wild and crazed and he looked like a man who wasn't about to stop for anything just because someone told him to. She cautiously turned attention to the computer and began logging in to the SCU main page. Leland watched her eagerly as she did, keeping himself hovered over her to prevent her from escaping.

"Good," he said, "Now bring it up for me."

Rosa reluctantly did as he asked and brought up the record page of the Torturer. She couldn't resist the opportunity to look herself; the man looked strangely effeminate and had the most narrow features that Rosa had ever seen.

"Hm ... 'Carl Anderson' ... " Leland read, "Enrolled in St. Joseph's ... most of the killings happened there ... "

Rosa watched him cautiously through the corner of her eyes. While Leland was distracted with his reading, she drew her head back into his nose. The blow knocked Leland backwards with a shout of pain. He held his bleeding nose in one hand and snarled down at her.

"Stupid bitch!" he shouted, punching her hard in the back of her head.

The blow knocked Rosa out of the chair and onto the floor. She shuddered for a moment before she went still. Leland groaned and quickly rushed out of the Rare Books room and held his nose with pain. He stopped in front of a reception desk and grabbed a container of pens and pencils, removing a pencil and sliding it into his nostril. With a sharp hiss, he pushed back on the dislocation, popping his nose back into place.

"Dammit!" he shouted in pain.

A trickle of blood ran down his lip and he wiped it off before sprinting out of the library to find Carl.


	6. Part Five

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish. **  
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"_Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part Five**

_Metro City_

_"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander."_

– Matthew 15:19

_I learned a few things about Leland Vanhorn; he could live in one moment for a long time. He could feed off the memory of his victims, over and over again like a demented record player. He was an animal in his own way. But then, I knew that he would feel it, the emptiness returning, and the need to kill would rise in him again. _

_I knew what I had to do, but things became difficult afterwards. So much more difficult than I could ever see coming._

_I felt lost. So far away from my perfect little world ..._

O

"Shit, I hate these damn birds!" LeRue muttered, watching the flocks of crows passing overhead. "Sometimes I get the feeling they're taunting me, you know?"

"No…"

Nancy sat at the curb with her head in her hand, not even responding to what he said with any more than a well-placed, morose, "no". LeRue stared down at her and finally, he took a spot beside her on the curb, sensing that something more was bothering her.

"Alright, now I know for a fact that something's bugging you," he said, "Tell your ol' friend Pierce what's up."

Nancy mumbled something he didn't understand and looked away. "Nothing ... "

LeRue smiled and elbowed her in the arm. "Come on, Nancy," he pressed, "You look like a little kid in the park who just dropped her ice cream. What's wrong?"

Nancy sighed and attempted to keep the smile down, but she failed and actually cracked a grin for the moment. Then, she sighed and rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. "Shit's just gotten entirely too out of control. I feel like I'm losing the fight, you know?"

"Hey, hey, now don't go givin' up!" LeRue assured her, "We'll get back in control. Don't you worry about a thing, Nancy."

Nancy smiled at him and nodded. LeRue was always able to make you feel better, no matter what it was. "Yeah, maybe..."

LeRue stood up and his COM beeped, indicating someone attempting to contact him and through the static, it was clearly Dorland's angry voice. Nancy zoned out in her own little world while he talked with Dorland about the situation.

_I have to put an end to this ..._

"Nancy!" LeRue said, snapping her out of her reverie, "Dorland says that Agent Thomas was seen heading for St. Joseph's Secondary School! We gotta move!"

Nancy nodded and quickly climbed to her feet with her weapon in hand, gathering her wits about her. She looked around before smiling at him. "We're taking my car."

LeRue sighed and looked pained, like he knew exactly what Nancy's car was capable of. "Oh hell no, Nancy," he protested, following her, "You drive like a goddamn maniac! We're gonna die on the damn road before any of those freaks get a hold of us!"

"Well my car can plow through anything! So we get there twice as fast!"

Nancy's car was an old, beaten Mustang convertible with a heavy, silver bumper welded to the front, parked beside the apartment complex of her foster parents. She also had a few bumper stickers slapped on the back, one in particular that read: "HOW'S MY DRIVING? CALL 1 - 800 KISS MY ASS". When she hopped into the driver's seat, LeRue gave her an uneasy look when she started the car and the engine belched to life.

Nancy smirked at him. "You should probably buckle up," she said, "I put a new thing of nitrous in this morning."

LeRue's eyes widened and he gripped his seat as Nancy slammed her foot on the gas, blasting them down the street with a trail of flame behind them.

O

Leland smiled as he observed the whimpering man beneath him. The mess of blood, the smell of human stench filled his nostrils.

"Oh Carl ... " he sighed, shaking his head with mock pity, "Carl, Carl, Carl ... Did you honestly believe that you could get away with it forever?"

Carl Anderson had spent most of his time tormenting people for his own pleasures. He never once played part in their actual death, so why was this man talking to him as if he did and torturing him? He just got off on watching people suffer, but he never actually killed them. That wasn't bad. But this strange guy had come out of nowhere and beat the living daylights out of him before dragging his ass to this abandoned apple orchard for nothing. Carl was scared because he never had to deal with anything like this guy before.

"What the fuck's your problem?" he groaned, through blood-stained teeth.

Leland leaned forward and whispered his words with deadly savagery. "You're my problem," he told him, "and apparently, you're becoming everyone else's too."

Carl shuddered and struggled to move his arm, but the pain that shot up from the break was more than he could bear and tears stung his eyes. Lying broken on the cold, dirty floor of this apple orchard house with this man standing crouched over him like a savage dog eager to tear into fresh meat was slowly becoming more than he could bear. It was horrifying to be on this end of the stick, but Carl couldn't bend now. He had to escape, but with his legs broken, there was no way.

"I want to play the game you've enjoyed playing," Leland continued, his voice unnaturally light and happy, "I bet right now, you feel utterly helpless and frightened, just like your victims. Tortured to the point of insanity, to the very razor's edge ... But now, it has come back to you, my friend." Leland giggled quietly. "Oh, many would call this a bad case of karma, but I call it justice. Every one of your crimes went by unpunished and so you were never taken to face up to what you have done. But today, I offer you freedom!"

Carl wished that he could move his legs or even more, his arms. "Please ... " he pleaded, "Come on ... Don't do this … It … It hurts … "

Leland smiled and picked up a metal pipe, playfully swinging it in his hands for a moment. He raised the end of it to one of Carl's broken legs and pressed it deep into the break. Carl screamed in agony, tears gushing from his eyes. Leland just laughed at his torment.

"Aww did that hurt?" he hissed, "I'm sorry. Maybe this might feel better."

He shoved the pipe in further and Carl's screams reached a higher note. Leland made a mocking face. "Aww, now Carl, don't give up on me yet! We're not even half done!"

He watched Carl shiver in agony like a wounded animal and his features contorted with frustration. Carl wasn't responding in a way that was satisfying for him and he wanted to hear him scream, not lay there crying like a little boy. He raised his pipe and began driving it down onto Carl's broken body and the man attempted to shield his face with his arms.

"You like that?" Leland shouted down at him as he delivered blow after blow, "You like the feeling of being helpless? You like being the victim? Like how it feels to suffer? To bleed? To beg for mercy?" He snarled. "It's not such a damn party now, is it?" Suddenly, he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the sound of a car engine revving in the distance. "Oh, it looks like we have unexpected company." He winked at Carl and stood up. "I'll be right back. Don't you go anywhere now!" He laughed at what he had said as he left the room, almost as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

O

It was madness.

Nancy had not expected to find what she did at the school. While Dorland and LeRue investigated the corpse of Tibbits in the gym locker room, she was not expecting to find the blood - drenched body of an overweight woman in cooking garb lying in the school refrigerator.

"Damn!" she exclaimed, surveying the damages done by what looked like something sharp. Her body had been sliced at and beaten. She tapped her COM and contacted LeRue and Dorland. "Hey, you guys, I found another body in the refrigerator."

"_Copy that. Can you make an ID?" _Dorland asked.

Nancy shook her head and squinted at the facial features of the body thoughtfully. "No, I don't think ... " She trailed off and studied the grizzled features of the dead woman, slowly coming to a bizarre conclusion. "Wait ... I think that this is Miss. Loretta!"

"_Who?" _LeRue piped up.

"I remember her from my school..." Nancy whispered, blinking through a memory of the once smiling, happy woman who stood behind the cafeteria counter tops. She had always asked Nancy how she was doing and sometimes snuck her extra dessert portions. "She was so happy and ... I can't believe it would come to this. What could make a woman like that turn into such a ... monster?"

"_Well, gentlemen, by all means, I think we should have an introspective moment of silence for poor old Loretta," _Dorland said, sarcastically, _"Just get down here and help us with Tibbits. We don't have time to mourn the dead right now."_

"Yeah, I got it." Nancy replied, standing.

Behind her, something shuffled beneath a pile of boxes; the scratching sounds of an animal. Nancy turned, confused and squinted into the mess. She slowly reached for her gun and aimed it into the pile. Whatever was there wasn't about to jump her this time.

Suddenly, something slithered out from the pile and moved so quickly, Nancy barely had a chance to register what it was. It darted passed her legs and into a crack in the walls. Nancy whirled, attempting to track it and another shape slithered passed her at the same time.

"Shit!" she cursed.

Whatever it was, it was fast. Nancy couldn't keep track of whatever was in the fridge with her. Through her COM link, she could hear the sounds of gunfire and Dorland and LeRue's shouts of fury. Those damn drug sniffing freaks must have caught up with them. Nancy had to go and offer some kind of help. She turned to make a run for the fridge door, but something rushed her from behind and she felt nothing but heavy weight slam into her spine with enough force to knock her flat on her face. Her gun clattered to the floor and just as she stood up, she was struck hard in the face by a humanoid shape that moved too fast for her to catch.

"Ahhh!" Nancy wailed, doubling over and holding her cheek in one hand. She came out with a handful of warm, wet blood and she couldn't open her eye where it had scratched her. When she tried, pain exploded through the spot.

The boxes seemed to shift and fly through the air as the shapes moved again. Nancy grabbed a metal conduit sticking out uselessly from the wall and prepared to strike the creature if it came at her a second time. When it rushed this time in a full - out charge with the grace of a spider, Nancy could see every explicit detail of its body and face. It looked human, but was wearing tight-fitted leather clothes and a bandage - like "skin" covering its face. It looked as if its arms and legs were covered in barbed wire.

When it lunged, Nancy swung the conduit as hard as she could with every ounce of strength that she could muster; it harshly connected with the creature's head. She felt something grinding beneath the blow, followed by a horrible snapping sound of its skull splitting beneath the force. Its body tumbled lifelessly across the floor and struck another one of the creatures, sending it tumbling off of its feet. Two more slithered across the cold floor toward her and Nancy bolted from the fridge, slamming the door shut before they could attack and overwhelm her.

"Oh ... " she breathed. After two seconds, her eyes popped open and she heaved an angry groan when she realized that she had left her gun in the fridge. "DAMN!"

She slowly opened the fridge door to peek inside, but the two remaining creatures dove at her again and at that same instant, she slammed the door shut.

Meanwhile, at Apple Orchard Estate, Leland was running from Ethan through the house, hiding occasionally to avoid having the agent find him. He gripped a pipe tightly in his hands and called out to Ethan angrily.

"Can't you see what I'm trying to do?" he shouted, "You can't win this battle!"

He broke away from his hiding spot and charged for Ethan down the hallways and into one of the bedrooms where the SCU agent was poised with a fire poker. He swung it before Leland was ready, smacking him across the face. Leland grunted sharply with pain and spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor. He quickly recovered and punched Ethan in the face, a blow so hard, his knuckles rang with pain.

Ethan grabbed his pipe arm and attempted to twist it and disarm him, but Leland was smaller and faster; he brought up his pipe arm to swing. It contacted the side of Ethan's head, sensing pain ringing through his ears. With a snarl of effort, Ethan drew back his head and brought it in contact with Leland's with a loud crack. Leland fell back with a groan of pain. Just as he recovered, there was another sound that shot through the air; he looked up and noticed Malcolm standing there with a shovel in his hands.

Ethan uttered a weak moan and collapsed to the floor. He shuddered a few times before he was still. Leland stared down at the unconscious man before staggering to his feet.

"Leland!" Malcolm said gently, watching his nephew slowly starting to walk toward him, "Nephew, I am here to help. You are not yourself, you are not in your right mind. I know of what I speak, I - "

Leland grabbed him by his throat with both hands and began to choke him. He watched Malcolm's eyes bug and felt his entire body seizing as he struggled to breathe. Leland grinned wickedly at him, watching his eyes roll up into his head before his body went limp. He collapsed to the floor and Leland took a moment to observe the two possible victims. His uncle he would save for later if he had to; he wasn't much of a threat. But Ethan... Ethan was going to get "special" attention from him.

He dragged the SCU agent to the barn as well as his uncle; it required that he make two trips, but both were out like lights so he didn't have to worry about them waking any time soon. After placing Malcolm's body onto a pile of hay, he shackled Ethan's arm to the wall and smiled excitedly when the agent began to awaken. Leland leaned forward and grinned when Ethan's eyes fluttered open dazedly. The man looked around for a moment before meeting his gaze.

"Welcome to consciousness my friend," he said, "Though you won't enjoy it long." He sighed dramatically and shook his head with pity. "We were good in the beginning, but you turned out to be kind of a failure, didn't you?" Ethan stared at him with a dumbfounded expression like a lost, frightened little pig and Leland chuckled, leaning forward. "You still don't get it? I've been using you, Ethan Thomas." He laughed again.

Ethan couldn't believe what he was hearing. How the hell did this psychopath manage to use him?

"I watched you, and followed you. And used to to find the serial killers you so desperately sought and then killed them," Leland explained, pointing the dangerous knife in his face. He laughed quietly and shook his head. "Okay, I must admit. I was a bit dramatic; killed them the same way they'd killed their own victims." He giggled wickedly. "Bit of fun, you know? I got good at it. Shame it ruined you at the bureau ... but some things are unavoidable."

Leland felt amazing standing here before the shackled SCU agent; absolutely in control. He had the power in his hands as he always had with his previous victims. It felt exciting, but nonetheless, it had to end here. It was a shame, though. He had such fun toying with him.

"Though since you're not going to be any help," he continued, "There's no reason to continue on this way."

Ethan's eyes widened in horror, realizing what Leland meant. He was going to kill him. Leland grinned at the reaction and brought the knife close to Ethan's face. There were so many choices, so little time to do them.

"Now how would you prefer to die?" he hissed, "I didn't like the Torturer's methods much; too risky." He paused thoughtfully and tilted his head. "Perhaps a slit across the throat like the Roadside Carver; short and sweet."

Ethan grunted and struggled to free his arm from the restraint, but it wouldn't budge. His bloodied wrists were slippery enough for him to free himself, but he was having difficulty doing so. Leland was still going through options of how to kill him.

"Or maybe the Bone Cutter. Neatly dissected the body, removed the internal organs and labeled them for the police to find," he continued. He grinned at Ethan proudly. "Oh yes, he was one of mine too! You were SO CLOSE to him! But I got there first!"

Leland giggled maniacally and Ethan glanced up toward the rafters in the barn, noticing that same shape that he had seen before sitting there, perched like a bird. He had many metal protrusions sticking out from his sickly white flesh and was wielding a long, metal stick. He watched the scene with a sort of intrigue, wondering just what would happen. Ethan knew for a fact that this man was no friend to him or anyone.

Leland raised his knife menacingly. "Perhaps it would be better if you lost a finger - " He brought the knife against one of Ethan's fingers, " - like the Matchmaker!"

And before Ethan knew it, Leland cut his entire finger off at the second knuckle. He screamed in agony and managed to yank his arm free from the shackle, staring down at the bloody stump where his finger used to be. Leland smirked at him and started to move in to finish what he had started, but Malcolm had regained consciousness and sprung up behind him. Leland looked over his shoulder with surprise and Malcolm grabbed his arm, flinging him to the ground and holding him down.

Ethan groaned in pain and Malcolm looked back at him desperately. "Go! Find it and kill it! It has caused all this madness!"

Despite the numbing pain in his hand, Ethan nodded and took off after the strange figure, knowing full well that it had to be destroyed.

O

"It's done!"

Nancy wasn't too sure what Rosa was talking about until she met up with her, Dorland and LeRue outside the SCU parking lot where everything seemed to be in the clear. Dorland was dabbing at a massive wound on his leg with some alcohol and a cloth and LeRue was assisting him.

"What happened to you?" Nancy asked.

"One of those crack heads bit me!" Dorland cursed sucking in a sharp breath of pain.

Nancy couldn't resist her laugh. That seemed very ridiculous. "Why?"

"I don't fucking know! I didn't stop to ask!"

Nancy held up her hands in a defensive gesture before looking at Rosa. "So, what do you mean, 'it's done'?" she asked, "Did they find Ethan Thomas?"

Rosa smiled with relief and nodded, taking her aside. She whispered in a low voice to make certain that Dorland and LeRue wouldn't hear her. "Yes! But better yet, we found the real culprit behind all of those murders! He had Ethan framed for the murder of the two SCU officials by using his weapon to kill them. Ethan is going to get out of this a free man!"

Nancy felt her stomach go sour. She suddenly felt a little lightheaded when Rosa finished and attempted to maintain her voice. "So who was the man?"

"A man named Leland Vanhorn," Rosa told her, and Nancy almost passed out, "He was tracked to the Apple Seed Orchard Processing Area by Ethan Thomas; he explained everything in his deposition to the bureau. We haven't been able to apprehend him, but ... " She cringed, almost as if she knew more to that reason than she was letting on, missing Nancy's sickened look. "Ethan's planning on coming back to talk to Farrell."

Dorland frowned up at her from his task. "Are they sending units to recover the body?"

Nancy felt dizzy all of a sudden, like every voice around her was slowly being sucked into a sound proof tunnel and only she could hear her own blood roaring in her head. She couldn't see Rosa as the woman grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently, mouthing the words 'are you okay', with no sound.

Nancy remembered the other two agents coming to her aid moments before she passed out.

When she regained consciousness, she was inside SCU headquarters with Rosa standing over her worriedly. She was dabbing her head with a warm rag and it actually felt rather nice. Nancy mumbled weakly and looked around at the passing officers and desk workers before trying to remember what had happened.

"Are you okay?" Rosa asked, "You just fainted. We were starting to worry." She gestured to the three long cuts along Nancy's face and the bandages that covered them. "You got lucky with those too. There wasn't a single infection to be had. Luckily, you didn't lose your eye either. You were pretty close to it."

Nancy blinked dazedly and her throat felt slightly dry. "Can I have some water?"

"Sure." Rosa smiled warmly and stood up, walking to the water fountain. She gathered a small cup from a dispenser beside it.

As Rosa began filling it with water, Nancy tried to remember what had caused her to pass out in the first place. Director Farrell and Ethan Thomas walked by and stood at the front desk, talking about the recent change of events. Nancy frowned and tuned in to listen.

" ... I'm sorry, but suspension is necessary!" Farrell told him.

"You know I didn't shoot them! The assholes at forensics could prove that! You just have to listen!" Ethan shouted, his eyes bloodshot and furious.

Farrell nodded briefly and looked around at the worried, tense frowns from his staff. It seemed that they were becoming concerned with Ethan's shouting and wondering if he would bring down the law with him. He gave Ethan a hard look and pointed a finger in his face. "Agent Thomas, it's necessary that we have control over the situation. We cannot allow anything to go unpunished. If I let you go without punishment, they will think that I favor you over others and that is not happening. I have to maintain a professional working environment and you know that."

"This is fucking bullshit!" Ethan roared; he threw his hands in the air, "I have been here all goddamned night and you haven't let me say one fucking thing on the matter! Not a single one of you!"

Dorland pointed a finger at him now. He was standing behind the clerk's desk and was starting to gather paperwork. "Mr. Thomas, you are way out of line!"

Ethan whirled on him and pointed a finger directly in his face, leaning over the clerk's desk. "Oh no you asshole! You shut the fuck up now. It's my turn to talk!" he spat. He gestured to everyone around him, ignoring Dorland's stunned expression and he did not acknowledge him at all when he rounded the desk to his side. "You're all fucked in the head for listening to this shit! All of you! I have bent over backwards for this place and not one of you has the balls to tell this guy what for?" He laughed bitterly and threw his hands in the air. "You know what? Fuck this! You all suck. I quit."

And with that, he brushed roughly passed Dorland and stormed out into the night. Rosa attempted to go after him and stopped in the doorways, calling out to him. "Ethan!" she cried, "Ethan, wait!"

Nancy looked up at her as she sighed sadly and took a spot beside her. "Yikes, that Ethan really needs to control himself ... " Rosa murmured. She caught Nancy's look and smiled, trying to sound reassuring, "He'll be back, but it won't be pretty when he returns ... Farrell tends to hold a bit of a grudge."

"Where's ... " Nancy began, trying to collect her thoughts. "I mean what ... What happened?"

"It's the murderer. The man responsible for all those deaths we have investigated was shot down by Ethan Thomas. It was … unavoidable it seems. Problem is ... we haven't been able to find the body."

Nancy suddenly remembered why she had fainted now. She felt sick again, like she was going to throw up everything she ate today and that wasn't a lot.

Suddenly, her phone rang loudly, interrupting the tasks of the officers for a few brief seconds. She gave them all a dirty look before staring down at the caller ID that read: BLK LK LODGE. Confused by the strange call, she stood up and answered.

"Hello? This is Agent Nancy Morello. Who's calling?" she asked.

"_Nancy. It's Malcolm."_

Nancy looked stunned and nearly broke her impassive gaze. She attempted to keep a blank expression in front of the others, including Rosa. Instead, she walked away a bit after giving the woman a wave and quickly entered the bathroom. After checking the stalls to make sure that no one could hear, she brought the phone back to her ear. "What the hell are you doing out there?" she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady, "What happened?"

Malcolm's voice sounded shaken and a little hard to understand because of the reception; he sounded disturbed with his next words. _"Please ... You must come out here ... " _he said, _"He's asking about you."_

"Who?" Nancy's word rasped out of her in a harsh, bitter wind. She had no desire to talk to anyone right now, not even Malcolm.

"_Leland."_

O

It took a little longer to get there than she had wanted, but once she rented a snow plow and worked her way up the mountains, she could spot the lodge up ahead through the snow and Malcolm Vanhorn's shape standing at the doorsteps of the front doors. It must have been cold for him to do that because even she was freezing and she was wearing a thick snow jacket. She stopped the plow and climbed out, approaching Malcolm with a grim, forced expression on her face. The entire trip had left her worried as hell and tense on the way. All she could think about right now was Leland and what condition that he was in.

Malcolm looked over his shoulder. "Were you followed at all?"

"No."

"Good."

"Where is he?" she asked, quietly.

Malcolm gestured her inside with a quick and frantic motion of his hands. "He's asleep...but who knows for how long..."

Nancy looked at him with worry when they stepped into the warm, comfortable lodge. That didn't make her feel any better. "What do you mean?"

Malcolm didn't answer, but instead led her into the lodge's main lounge area. Nancy was surprised to see that Malcolm was able to get the place up and running. She had heard that it was abandoned for a while now, but maybe that wasn't true at all.

She noticed Leland laying on a pile of blankets and pillows next to a roaring fire, dressed only in the tattered blue jeans she remembered seeing him in that night near Bart's Department Store. His eyes were closed and the left side of his face was almost completely bandaged. She also noticed that an IV had been plugged into his arm and she looked at Malcolm with confusion.

"How did ... ?" she began.

Malcolm gestured to a man in the corner; he was gathering tools and putting them into a briefcase. "Doctor Thorn is my family doctor. He's agreed to care for Leland in the time he has left."

The man looked kind of funny to her; he had bottle-cap glasses and a pencil-thin mustache across his lip. He was wearing a brown sweater vest and formal shirt and tie with dress pants and shoes. He gave Malcolm a nod and walked out of the room to leave them in peace.

"He has done all that he can," Malcolm told Nancy as she bent down beside Leland, "He doesn't expect him to live very long."

Nancy felt her eyes filling with tears and a hot lump forming in her throat. She glared up at Malcolm, her eyes glossy with pain. "Why'd you call me here then knowing he was going to die?"

Malcolm shook his head, pain in his eyes as well. "I had to call you here, Nancy. You loved him more than anyone else ever could. I owed that much to you for believing that he was capable of being good again." He inhaled sharply and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Now, you must let him go ... Don't let the pain fester ... "

Nancy looked down at Leland's peaceful features, his slightly fluttering eyelashes. Hah. He looked to be dreaming. She was wondering what he was dreaming about. She chuckled sadly and stroked his damp hair. "Hey there, rat face ... " she said, quietly, "I wish you could hear me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't have let this happen, let it end this way. I wish I could have been stronger for the both of us, but I guess I couldn't. I wish it didn't have to end like this ... I love you. I always have ... "

Malcolm shut his eyes and looked away in shame. Nancy missed the look; she was too upset to notice much of anything right now. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss on Leland's slightly dampened forehead. She didn't see his fingers twitch lightly and she stood up. She waited for a moment before looking at Malcolm, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand before she looked up at him with a different look and reached out with two hands, placing her fingers over his eyes before he could protest. When she closed her eyes, she felt a barrage of memories; Malcolm standing at the side of the road with a blood - speckled Ethan Thomas at his side. She could see Leland gagged and tied up in the trunk.

_"Thomas, don't!" Malcolm cried, "He was a good boy! We were all good people. We were able to fight it back, most of us. My nephew was not as strong. He fell victim and destroyed ... so many things. We fought to save him! I must continue to do so!"_

_Ethan glared venomously at Malcolm and pointed his handgun down at Leland. "I don't care whether this sick fuck is in his right mind or not!"_

_"Think of what you are DOING!" Malcolm insisted, "Both of you have a chance for redemption!"_

_Ethan stared at him in furious disbelief. "REDEMPTION?" he shouted, "Listen, old man; you use me just like he did. You-You used me to save your precious nephew-a serial killer! You're - You're no better than he is!"_

_Malcolm suddenly pointed a revolver at Ethan's head and for a moment, neither one moved. After a brief several moments, Ethan's face twisted with fury and every bit of hatred that he had felt came flowing out in one violent burst._

_"IT'S NOT ENOUGH!" he shouted, squeezing the trigger._

Nancy suddenly cried out as if she had felt the pain of the shot and staggered away from Malcolm, reeling violently into a chair. Malcolm attempted to reach for her, but she recoiled from his touch as if his hand was on fire.

"Don't touch me!" she shouted.

Malcolm stared at her worriedly and watched as she collected herself together before staring up at him with tear-streaked eyes. "Nancy...are you alright?" he asked.

Nancy was quiet for a moment before she grimaced with pain and bitterness, standing up from her crouched position in the chair. "I saw it ... I saw what he did to him ... Through your eyes. He was so angry and ... "

Malcolm nodded gravely. "Yes, but it's over now. He's gone."

Nancy shook her head before she gave Malcolm a sorrowful look. She attempted to smile, but it seemed more difficult than she wanted. "Thank you, Malcolm."

He looked confused. "What for, Nancy?"

"You were this man's uncle, but you sure made a fantastic father," Nancy told him, smiling sorrowfully, "For the both of us, I mean."

Malcolm looked startled when she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. He chuckled softly and returned the gesture even though it felt somewhat uncomfortable for him. "I should be thanking you for that, Nancy ... " he replied, quietly. "You were a great child as well. You were good to my nephew. I only wish that he could have appreciated that more." Tears began to trickle down his cheeks and he was glad that she didn't see them. It was shameful for a grown man to be seen crying like that.

Finally, they parted and Nancy looked sorrowfully down at Leland before she turned and disappeared from the lodge and from the life of the Vanhorn's. Malcolm watched her go with pain in his eyes. He hated having to do it, but it was necessary. Nancy couldn't hold him down any longer. It wasn't a bad thing, but now, things could go back to normal again and even better; start anew.

His nephew would have had to let go if it meant changing his life.

O

Leland groaned weakly, slowly regaining consciousness. He looked up to a log ceiling and furrowed his brow, his vision slightly dizzying. Propping his elbows up, he grunted, forcing himself into a sitting position that hurt even to attempt it. He reached out to touch his bandaged face in confusion, but even the lightest of touches caused pain to explode through his entire body like a firework and he shrieked in agony. It was a terrible sound; like a tormented animal's. Malcolm suddenly came running in with a jug of water and a straw.

"Leland! Leland, Leland, Leland…" he said, soothingly, "It's all right! I'm here. You're safe!"

Leland calmed himself slightly and looked around, his eyes wide and bloodshot like a frightened dog. Malcolm had to hold his shoulders to keep him from moving too much. "Wh - Where am … I?"

"Don't worry, nephew," Malcolm said, smiling gently. He picked up the jug of water and placed the straw into it, offering it to Leland, "Here, you need to drink. You've been dehydrated from the blood loss."

Leland mumbled slightly before he squinted at him suspiciously as he took the offering of the straw and drank the water through the good side of his mouth. "What are you doing, uncle?" he barely managed to say, his voice nearly mangled from the gunshot wound, "Why help me?"

Malcolm stared at him painfully, holding the jug steady for Leland in one hand. "You know that's only ever been my intention!"

Leland didn't reply, but continued to stare at him with a hardened gaze as he drank. Finally, when he was done drinking what he felt like drinking, he winced sharply and looked down at the IV in his hand, studying it for a moment. Malcolm watched his actions with concerned eyes.

"I brought you here, Leland," Malcolm told him, "I thought that you would have died, but I knew. I knew you could survive that. A part of me always knew."

_Malcolm was standing at the side of the road with despair, staring down at the bloody body of his nephew. He contemplated burying him, but a sharp choking sound caused him to look down into the trunk in disbelief. _

_"Leland!" he cried._

_Leland's shredded face was difficult to watch as he attempted to speak; sick bubbling sounds echoed out of him and he grabbed at Malcolm's wrist before falling limp once more. Malcolm was shaken by the action and checked Leland's pulse. His eyes widened in shock before he quickly gathered Leland into his arms, soaking his coat in blood in the process. He placed Leland into the passenger seat and cradled his head into his lap. As he drove, he applied pressure to Leland's face with his coat._

_"Hold on, Leland ... " he whispered, gravely, "Hold on!"_

Leland made a sound and attempted to move his jaw a bit, but he squeezed his eyes shut in pain and hissed through his teeth. Finally, he tilted his head in thought before looking around the room for something, almost as if he had forgotten and just now remembered. He grunted softly and then at Malcolm as if something had just occurred to him.

"Where's Nancy?" he asked, "Did she come?" He paused for a moment and he looked at his uncle. For that split second, Malcolm thought that he saw a little bit of the old Leland there in his eyes. "Is she alright?"

Malcolm attempted to avoid the question and slowly started to rise. He didn't want to tell his nephew anything right now; not in his condition. "Just get some rest right now, Leland ... " he advised, "We can talk a little more when your strength returns."

"No!" Leland rasped, as hard as he could muster; it sounded like a bag of dry leaves being crushed. He reached up, grabbing Malcolm's hand before he could stand, "We'll talk now."

Malcolm stared at him with pain before he struggled to find the right words. Leland stared at him expectantly with anger in his eyes, waiting for his uncle to speak. Finally, Malcolm took a deep breath and spoke, his eyelids fluttering a little bit.

"Leland ... " he began, placing the empty jug to the side.

"Yes?" Leland said, impatiently, waving his hand in the air, "Yes? Yes?"

"Nancy…isn't coming back," Malcolm told him, carefully, "Not now ... or ever again."

Leland squinted at him again, only this time, he looked absolutely confused by his uncle's message. Then, he glowered at him with fury rising in his distorted voice. "What did you say to her, uncle?" he demanded in a near shriek. "Did you scare her off? WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"No ... " Malcolm replied, "I did not scare her off. I had to tell her that you were dying in order for you to let go of your past. I did it to help you."

"Help?" Leland spat, in disbelief. "HELP ME?"

Malcolm's voice was harder and much sterner this time. "Yes, help! That's all I have ever done! Listen! The city thinks that you are dead! This is the chance that you have needed, Leland! The chance to start over and begin a new life! A clean slate; even if it means sacrificing a few things!"

Leland's gray eyes were literally two coals of burning fury. He strained to grab Malcolm, but his weakened body would not allow for it. "You fool!" he raged, "I did not ask for your help! I HAVE NEVER ONCE ASKED FOR YOUR HELP!"

Malcolm held out two hands reassuringly. "Leland, please, you must calm down," he insisted, "You'll tear the stitches in your mouth!"

Leland grinned maliciously and that dark look that Malcolm had seen in the kitchen at their house was back. "Would you like that?" he threatened, grabbing the IV cord in his arm, "Want to see me sacrifice a little more?" With a violent tug, he yanked out the cord and blood spurted from the ruptured wound. "AND THIS? SHOULD I SACRIFICE THIS AS WELL?" He began to shred the bandages with his good arm, ripping the threaded stitches and Malcolm struggled to hold him back without hurting him. Leland spat with mindless fury and hate, screaming in pain in the process; the pain wasn't nearly the cause of his screaming as much as it was the rage that burned through him. He looked to have finally lost it entirely. "LET ME BLEED! LET ME BLEED!"

Malcolm looked over his shoulder and shouted. "DOCTOR THORN, GET IN HERE NOW!"

The doctor raced into the room with his briefcase and he quickly opened it. He removed a needle and a bottle of sedative. While Malcolm struggled to hold Leland down and the doctor prepared the dose, blood was getting all over their pants and clothes.

"Let me go!" Leland shouted wildly. His eyes landed on the needle as if he had just now noticed the doctor there and he stared murderously at the man. "Don't you even dare! Don't you dare stick me with that!"

Malcolm pushed Leland's head back with his elbow to avoid having him attempt to even bite the doctor as he readied the needle into his arm. Once he was injected with the sedative and began to calm himself, Malcolm turned to the doctor as he prepared to leave. He stared at him sternly and offered him a roll of hundred dollar bills which Thorn preceded to stuff into his coat without question. He also gathered his tools and documents to be sure that nothing was left behind.

"I trust that this goes no further?" Malcolm said.

Thorn smiled and nodded, assuring. "I will be back tomorrow for his scheduled treatment. In the mean time, watch and be sure that he doesn't try to swallow his own tongue. If he does, roll him onto his side."

Malcolm nodded in return and led Thorn to the front door.

O

Leland was quiet the next morning, as calm as he was when he was injected with the sedative. He just sat up on the couch, watching the news on the television that Malcolm had moved for him. The IV was still plugged into his arm and they had dressed the wounds on his face again. He seemed to stare lifelessly into space, his face an ashen mask and his eyes empty.

"Leland? Are you hungry?" Malcolm called, as he walked in, "It's breakfast time!"

Leland snapped out of his reverie with a quick collection of blinks and looked up as Malcolm walked in carrying a tray that had only a bowl filled with something that looked suspiciously runny and inedible. Leland sniffed it delicately for a few moments and scoffed with disgust, tilting his head away.

"What is that?" he snapped.

Malcolm smiled at him. He seemed unusually chipper today. It was very suspicious to Leland. "Trust me; it tastes better than it smells."

Leland curled his nose at the smell once more, but he was too hungry to really argue too much. He reluctantly took the offering and Malcolm watched him with some form of delight as he began to eat. Sure enough, Leland's expression changed and he actually looked impressed this time.

"Heh ... You're right ... " he said, "its ... good."

Malcolm smiled at that and clasped his hands together. "Excellent!" he replied, "Perhaps if you feel up to it, we can take the time to talk about what you want for your future."

Leland was silent at that.

Malcolm wasn't too sure if he had heard him, but Leland seemed intent on the news playing out in front of him instead of what he had said. Sarah Brenton was discussing the events that had taken place at his very hands; the murders of the killers in the city. It seemed that everyone felt somewhat safer after the murders that Leland had orchestrated. He was considered a hero by some and a nuisance by others. Tony Rhodes approached a bum with his microphone.

"_Excuse me, sir? What can you tell us about the SKX murders?" _

The bum laughed and waved at the camera in a goofy manner before looking at Tony. _"That crazy son of a bitch has my blessings, I tell ya' what! It's about damn time someone did something about the shit running around in these streets if the damn cops ain't doin' shit! Half the killers out here are scared shitless now! Wondering who the next SKX is gonna be! He's a hero, man!" _He gave the camera a salute. _"Long live SKX!"_ And then, he raced away with a loud whooping sound.

Tony stared at the camera with a grin. _"Well, that was interesting!"_

Leland smiled as much as his face would allow without complete agony. So he had made an impact on the city after all with his actions. He gave Malcolm a look that his uncle didn't particularly like. That was okay; he didn't expect his uncle to be proud.

Much later, Leland decided to read in the library a little bit to uncover the truths behind the city's growing madness. After all, he couldn't continue to sit on the couch without being bored out of his mind. He needed something to do. Since there were no phones at all in the lodge, he couldn't very well call Nancy and see what she was doing. Maybe Malcolm was right and he had to give her up, no matter how good she had been to him. He was alive for a reason and that was indeed for a second chance at life. He must have messed up somewhere in his plans, but providence shined its light down upon him. Now he could find out exactly what he needed to know and what Malcolm was hiding from him. He wasn't a fool, though. He would have surely kept a bunch of things well hidden.

"Leland! I'm going out!" Malcolm called, as Leland sat down in front of his computer, "I want you to behave while I am gone! Thorn will be here shortly!"

Leland gave a small, half - wave and nodded.

As soon as Malcolm left, Leland stood up and pushed the IV across the library so that he could get some books. It was difficult carrying them back to the desk because some were heavy and he could only carry one at a time. That was fine because he wanted to get his strength back soon and sitting around wasn't going to do it.

He didn't plan to stay in the lodge forever, no matter what Malcolm had said.

After doing some research with the books, Leland became bored with the lack of knowledge and decided to try Malcolm's computer instead. Unfortunately, there was a password set on it. Well, that shouldn't have surprised him. His uncle was far too smart for that.

Leland sighed and straightened in the chair. "Great ... "

He looked around the desk and opened a few drawers to see if he could find anything that would give him a clue to get into Malcolm's computer. His hand thumped the top of the first drawer and something caught his eye. There was a piece of paper sticking out of the top drawer. Interested, he pulled slightly, but it would not budge. Leland made a disgusted sound and reached beneath the drawer to loosen the paper and was surprised to find another compartment inside.

"Hmm ... What have we here?" he mused.

It looked like an old folder filled with newspaper clippings, documents and photographs. Leland passed each one, quickly scanning the details. There was a scrap of old paper that particularly caught his interest. It was stained with what looked like blood and there was a message that he could barely read: ... ORO ... SAVE ... KILL ... ME ...

The Oro?

Leland attempted to learn more about this Oro. Maybe when he did, he could learn a little bit about his uncle as well. There was a newspaper clipping about the death of Leland's aunt and cousin and Malcolm's wife and child that seemed to suggest the Oro was responsible given Malcolm's testimony. Why would they have been killed by this "organization"? Leland had certainly never heard of them.

Maybe it was time that he did.

When Malcolm returned to the lodge, he walked into his library to find Leland sitting at his desk with the collection of documents in front of him. His eyes widened in horror before he rushed over, staring down at his nephew.

"Leland! What do you think you are doing?" he demanded, "Those were private!"

Leland smiled up at him. "Is this why you brought me back?" he asked.

"What?"

Leland turned the computer around, showing Malcolm what he was looking at; there was an image of several Oro members wearing masks and cloaks. Malcolm flinched at the familiar sight before he quickly shut the computer off, much to Leland's dismay.

"Boy, that has nothing to do with you," he said, sternly, "And you would do well to stay out of my affairs!"

Leland continued to smile and stood up. "Uncle, you don't have to play innocent with me!" he said, "I understand perfectly now. You want me to carry on the family tradition and become a member of this…magnificent group just as you have!"

Malcolm pointed a finger at him sternly. "Now you listen to me, Leland," he warned, "They are nothing but psychopaths and sadists! I defected from them because of the things that I have seen! They killed my wife and child, did you happen to read that?"

Leland frowned at him. "No," he responded, "The Oro has nothing but opportunity for me. If you tossed such a glorious opportunity away, then that is your own fault!" He watched a burning look of anger touch Malcolm's eyes and chuckled dryly. "Perhaps it was best that Aunt Margie and my dear cousin passed on! They had no idea what a coward they were living with!"

Malcolm suddenly grabbed Leland by the throat and pushed him hard into the wall, forgetting for a second the condition he was in. Leland glared back at him and Malcolm returned the glare, but his eyes were filled with the pain of a husband and father who had experienced the worst kind of loss.

"Listen to me, Leland," he growled out his words, "I lost everything because of them! I lost the woman I loved, my brother, my child … " His glare disappeared and was replaced with a sorrowful, pleading look. "Do not involve yourself with them, nephew. You are the last family I have. Please … "

Leland continued to glare back at him as Malcolm pulled away and disappeared from the library.

O

The past several weeks hadn't been the greatest, but Leland was able to get back on his feet and even work on improvements to his body. Sure, the only exception was his face. The stitches had all but failed in keeping his wounds closed and now the left side of his jaw was missing most of its skin around his teeth and neck, making him look like a cheap parody of the villain Two-Face from the Batman series. He wasn't going to be pretty again, that was for sure. But that wasn't a concern to him anymore. He had bigger things on his mind than appearances. Sometimes he even felt a tingle to dig at the wounds to keep them from healing. He wanted to always remember why he was angry at Ethan Thomas and who had given him the mark to begin with. The pain gave him a sense of feeling, a sense of purpose to move forward.

Malcolm also seemed more uncomfortable lately too. He didn't look Leland in the face much, almost like his scars disgusted him. That barely fazed Leland at all and he didn't care what his uncle felt anymore. He wasn't planning on sticking around for much longer anyway. After all, he had found a new hope.

Sitting alone in the closet, barely lit by a dimming light hanging overhead, Leland carved several letters into the wood with his favorite knife; a message to those who would find it. They would understand that he was alive and back and that alone would create the greatest fear none of which the likes the city had ever seen. He laughed to himself as he thought about it. Once he found them - the Oro - they would make him stronger than he had ever been. He would have true power and everyone would fear him.

"Leland!"

Leland sighed and stared down at his knife, ignoring his uncle's beckoning voice for a moment. It was becoming an irritant to him lately; his uncle just wouldn't leave him in peace sometimes. When Malcolm called for him again, he rolled his eyes and stood up, walking out of the closet. His uncle stood there with dismay and he put his hands on his hips.

"What were you doing in there, boy?" he asked.

Leland shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing; I just wanted some peace and quiet."

Malcolm sighed and gestured with one hand. "Come on, it's time for dinner." He smiled this time. "I made your favorite today."

_Whoop - de - do …_

The two Vanhorn's sat across from one another at the dinner table in silence. The wind howled outside and snow was starting to fall. Leland hung his head and fingered with his food with his fork. Steak and potatoes; sure, he usually loved eating it, but he just couldn't find the stomach for it today. His uncle took a drink of his glass of wine and paused, taking notice to his nephew's lack of appetite. He tilted his head and frowned.

"Leland, why aren't you eating?" he asked.

"I don't know," Leland answered, his voice somewhat edged. He kept his head low and his gaze to the table. "Maybe I feel sick ... "

"Sick?" Malcolm looked concerned. "Are you feeling sick today?"

"I suppose I am … Sick of hiding out in this hellhole waiting for something to happen," Leland said, glaring up at him now, stabbing his fork into the steak with a little more force. He pushed his plate away and shook his head. "I can't stay another night here. I will go insane!"

That wasn't a threat and Malcolm knew that for sure. Leland was still mentally unstable, even after the weeks that had passed, despite the teachings of his uncle. But Malcolm just smiled calmly and dabbed his chin with his napkin. "Leland, it's just for a little while longer, I promise you."

Leland let out a bark of laughter. "You've told me that so many times before! 'It'll be soon, I promise'. 'You can go to the city again, don't worry'. Well, I don't see any of that happening! You continue to lie and lie and lie!"

Malcolm shifted in his seat and looked at him sternly. "Enough!" he shouted, "I will not have disrespect!" He paused and softened a bit. "It is just until we can be sure that the city has forgotten."

Leland laughed coldly and shrugged his shoulders. "Why would I want them to forget me?"

Malcolm frowned now. He didn't appreciate hearing that kind of talk. "Leland, we've talked about this. It's to protect you."

"No, it's to protect YOU!" Leland shouted, slamming his fist into the table, rattling its contents.

Malcolm shut his eyes for a long time before he found his patience and stared at his nephew gently. "Leland ... "

Leland stood up and walked over to Malcolm's side of the table, placing both hands on his chair, almost trapping him between the chair and his muscular form, turning him so that he faced him entirely. Malcolm refused to look up at Leland. "I am suffocating in here, uncle," he warned, "I need air soon or I will lose my mind! Do you understand?"

And with that, he stormed away.

Malcolm sat alone and sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. "God help me ... "

Leland returned to his room muttering curses and growls of fury. He tossed himself onto his bed for the moment, listening to the sounds of the radio and police scanner that he had gotten from his uncle; the only source to the outside that he had.

He sighed and picked up his hunting knife and looked at himself in a small cracked mirror at his bedside. For the moment, he did nothing but stare at himself before he looked down at a newspaper clipping with Ethan Thomas' face. Leland stared at it for a while before his features contorted in raw fury. He grabbed the clipping and shoved it onto his pillow before he began to stab at it mercilessly with fierce shouts of rage. Bits of cotton went flying everywhere as he shredded the pillow into a million pieces. There was nothing left of the image of Ethan Thomas; Leland only wished that it was the real deal and not a fake image.

_"What's the matter, Leland?" _

The voice of his mother. He looked up and saw her spectral form standing there in the room with her sad, heavy eyes watching him. "Just when I think I'm okay, I-I see my reflection somewhere and I look ... like this!"

His mother shook her head and bent beside him. _"No."_

"Yes!" Leland hissed, touching his cheek with two fingers. "Look what he's done to me!"

_"No, no, no, don't do that, boy," _his mother soothed, _"Everything is going to be alright. I can promise you that." _

Leland looked up at her. "How can you be so sure?"

She smiled at him now. _"You have someone waiting for you. They will never see you as the ugly thing that the rest of the world does."_

Leland slowly smiled now when he realized just what she was talking about. Yes ... the Oro.

They would save him from this life.


	7. Part Six

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish. **  
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"_Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part Six**

_Metro City_

_"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."_

-Proverbs 27:6

_It's hard to move on. _

_There's always a simple thing to bring back the memories of when you were once happy. _

O_  
><em>

Nancy stared up at the large white building labeled, "METRO CITY MENTAL HOSPITAL". She looked different than she had a year back; her short black hair was dyed blonde and she had three white scars across her right cheek and eyebrow. She even had a sharper muscle tone compared to what she had once looked like. Her features were stronger and somewhat more rugged in appearance. Her green eyes were even darker than they used to be.

With her job, it had taken her a while before she could finally come here. It was a fenced - in complex of Victorian design and many staff members moving around through the yard, doing their job of tending to the patients as they walked through the grass. It looked just as depressing on the outside as she knew it was on the inside.

She walked into the building, her features a grim mask of pain and bitterness. She walked up to a reinforced door shuddering at the sound of the buzzing lock, almost like it was a time bomb. She pushed her way through and approached the nurse's station. A kind - looking nurse smiled up at her; she was different than the one Nancy was used to seeing. There must have been an employee shift.

"Hello. May I help you?" she asked.

Nancy nodded. The smell of the office resembled peaches. It was a nice smell. "I'm here to see Sylvia Morello."

"Stay here, I'll get her." The nurse stood up and walked to a door in the back of her office.

Nancy looked around. She wished that her mother didn't have to stay in such a dreary little place, but it was for the best. There was nothing that Nancy could do to help her given her job and her situation right now. It was just for the best. After all, she knew that her mother was well taken care of.

The nurse returned to the office and gave the woman a nod, indicating she was okay to go through. Nancy walked to the bathrooms and washed her face before gathering her things and approaching one of the staff members who patted her down for anything. When she was good to go, Nancy entered the visiting area where it was filled with numerous patients; some moving like robotic corpses and others sitting in corners talking to themselves.

Nancy approached a grey - haired woman sitting in a soft chair. This was Sylvia Morello, now much older and her features were slightly calmer than Nancy remembered them to be. Then again, she knew that her mother was probably heavily dosed on her medication right now. The doctors always made perfectly sure that she was full medicated before Nancy arrived to avoid problems.

"Hello, honey!" Sylvia greeted, with a cheerful smile, "It's good to see you here! How have you been? I want to hear everything I'm missing out there!"

Nancy smiled sorrowfully, the pain of Leland's death still weighing heavily on her shoulders. She took a spot across from her. "You look good, mom. They're taking care of you."

Sylvia placed her hands on her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. Her green eyes flickered with concern when she read the misty-eyed look in her daughter's eyes. "You look upset, honey. What's wrong?"

Nancy shook her head. She didn't want to get into it and risk upsetting her mother right now. After all, she only had a chance to visit her a few times in the month. "Mom, I came to see you … "

"Tell me!" Sylvia insisted, smiling brightly.

Nancy took a deep breath and put at much effort into being as calm and collected as she could, but she began to fail at it and tears filled her eyes.

"Mom … it's Leland … "

"What's wrong with him?" Sylvia asked, her brow furrowed with worry, "He's treating you right, I hope."

"Mom, he's dead." The tears came now.

Sylvia placed her arms around her daughter and held her close as Nancy began to cry. "Come here, sweetie." She listened to Nancy's weeping against her shoulder. "Now you listen, you have to be strong now. Be strong, Nancy." She was quiet for a moment and then, her voice lit up. "Hey, do you know what? The doctors are telling me that I am getting better. That means that when I get out, soon, we can spend as much time together as you need, making up for lost time."

Nancy couldn't resist the smile. She looked up at her mother and nodded tearfully. "That would be great, mom; really great."

Sylvia looked at the wall clock and frowned. She gave Nancy one final hug. "Now you go back to work and catch those bad guys."

Nancy smiled and stood up, giving Sylvia one more hug before she turned to go. "Okay, mom; I hope to see you again."

Sylvia waved after Nancy as she walked back to the front doors. "Bye, dear!" she called, "Be safe!"

The smile disappeared from Sylvia's face and her eyes glittered once with a hint of fear. Standing behind Nancy was the shadow of a Dark Watcher; its eyes gleamed wickedly with pale, white light and its mouth was stretched open with metal pieces.

Sylvia attempted to warn her daughter, but Nancy was already outside and gone.

O

_11 Months Later_

Time had passed and Thorn was sent to the lodge to watch over Leland while Malcolm went out to work. He advised the man about Leland's behavior and warned him to stay on guard should anything happen. Thorn didn't seem deterred and simply gave him his word that it would work out.

"Just keep your eyes on it," Malcolm said, gathering his coat.

"Don't worry, I will!" Thorn told him, waving from his spot on the couch.

Malcolm looked up toward the second floor balcony where Leland was standing, slouched against the railing with his arms hanging over the edge. He watched his uncle silently before giving him a sarcastic, two - fingered wave.

"Have a pleasant evening, uncle … " Leland sneered, quietly.

Malcolm left the lodge with nothing but worry on his mind. He hated the idea of leaving Leland alone with Thorn, but he was protected with defense should anything go wrong. Malcolm was going to be gone for the whole day and he knew that he wasn't going to work very well today either.

Meanwhile, long after Malcolm had gone, Thorn was just getting relaxed on the couch in front of the television. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but they refused. He was just so tired and had such a long day of sitting here babysitting this grown man. He couldn't complain too much considering what kind of numbers Malcolm was paying him, but it had to have some kind of perk for him to stay half sane. He stared at the clock and noticed the time. 8:45 PM. Well, at least Malcolm was going to be home soon.

Suddenly, a heavy hand clamped over his mouth. Thorn attempted to scream and break free from the grip, but the arms that held him were just too strong. He kicked his feet out and looked up into Leland's horrible, grinning face. "Good evening, doctor!" he hissed, "Let's talk for a little bit!"

_10:00 PM_

Malcolm returned to the lodge, exhausted from his day at work. He kicked some snow from his boots and stretched. "Hello, Thorn? I'm home!" he called, "You can go home now!"

He started hanging his coat up on the rack, but noticed the lack of response and frowned, walking down the hallway to reach the main lodge area where he had last seen his friend. It seemed oddly quiet, which of course, worried him as always. The sound of the TV still filled the air.

"Thorn, where are you?" Malcolm said. He smiled when he saw Doctor Thorn's back still to him from the couch. "Ahhh, good, you're still here. You scared me there for a moment. I hope you didn't have to resort to anything particularly violent with Leland."

No answer.

Malcolm frowned and tilted his head to one side. "Thorn? Thorn, are you even listening to me?" Malcolm rounded the couch and his frustrated look disappeared into a slight widening of his eyes, followed by a slow parting of his lips. "Oh my God ... "

Thorn was lying on the couch, just as he was left. Two screwdrivers were gruesomely imbedded through his eyes, deep into his skull. His entire jacket was ripped open and the front of his chest had been slashed in a horrible X shaped incision, exposing bone and sinew. There was a pool of blood that had formed around the dead man. Malcolm stepped aside with disgust and anguish. Then, he noticed that a scrap of paper had been placed into Thorn's hand and reached in to take it. It was dirty and crumbled slightly, but in the center of the paper was a crudely drawn eye on one side and the letters SKX on the back.

"No ... " Malcolm whispered, horrified, "NO!" He lifted his head toward the windows and threw them open, calling out to his nephew through the storm.

"LELAND!"

O

The city was filled with the sounds of violence, chaos and bloodshed. Not a single person was safe within the riot zone and no one was even safe outside of it. Among the SCU cleaning up another collection of dead bodies was Dorland and LeRue.

"Dorland, it's no good; we gotta move her!" LeRue said, gesturing to a paramedic, "It's getting kinda hot out here!"

Dorland stood within the charred remains of an apartment building lobby, keeping full on his guard as his fellow SCU officers struggled to keep the reporters as bay. The constant chatting and questions was beginning to piss him off, but he kept his head focused on the task at hand and not the vultures behind him. He gave LeRue an indicating nod and waved his two fingers to the paramedics.

"Right … okay you guys. Do it." he ordered.

The paramedics quickly wheeled the body of a woman away on a gurney. LeRue watched them go and he sighed with dismay, shaking his head before looking at Dorland. "Goddamn it. What's the count so far?"

"40 bonfires, 17 murders and 35 riots," Dorland muttered, as if the job itself was beginning to take a toll on his sanity. He chuckled and gave LeRue a look that was neither amused nor angry, "I think that they might be slacking off from last year."

LeRue laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "Nah; you know they're pretty slow starters. They take some time before they start the day with the occasional murder."

Dorland scowled at his less-than professional terminology and looked in the direction of the streets, to the chaos on the television screens inside the apartment complex. Everything was going to hell and it seemed like it was happening all in one day.

"Just get those reports up ... " he said, coldly.

Across town in an abandoned parking lot, several bums struggled to gather warmth from a trash can that was lit with fire. The glow of the light danced across their rough, unshaven faces. They mumbled to one another and looked around the empty streets, making sure that nothing too crazy came their way. They seemed sane as well, not nearly as messed up and deranged as the rest of the city's influenced, but they didn't want to deal with any of that either.

"Shit ... I'm fucking hungry, man!" one of the bums, 'Gale' groaned.

"God man, I need some food!" another 'Hal' mumbled.

"Hey! Are you boys' hungry?"

The group of bums turned and there stood Nancy with her hands full of bags and a yellow - colored box.

The bums heaved signs of relief when they saw her and grinned happily. "Nancy! We thought you'd never come!" they cried, together.

Nancy laughed and placed the bags onto a garbage can. "Well, I said I would, didn't I?"

The bums immediately moved around her as she pulled out a bucket of chicken and other small containers filled with food. Nancy was almost amused by their frantic gestures as they struggled to grab something to eat.

"Hey, hang on! Don't eat it all in one go!" she said, "If you guys eat too fast, you won't have room for dessert!" And with that, she opened the box, revealing a large white icing cake inside.

They sat around at the fire eating their meals, happy and satisfied. Nancy offered them a couple of bottles of water which they passed around to one another.

"You're too good to us, Nancy," Hal said. He sniffed a bit to clear his sinuses. "A lot of these folks in the city are too good to lend a hand. They think we're full of disease or something."

"Well, Ben might be." Gale joked, laughing quietly.

A soda can struck him on the back of the head from "Ben" who was sitting on a chair a little ways from them. "I heard that, asshole!"

She smiled and nodded. "It's the least I can do to help you guys. There's no point in seeing folks suffer and not do anything about it."

After a while, they decided to talk about past times to ease the tension in the air. It seemed to get them relaxed and not as jumpy about the situation with the riot activity as usual.

"The first time I ever went there it turned out really shitty," an older bum sitting beside Hal muttered, "My mom left me there to rot, then she went and ran off for the East Side. I never saw her again." He scoffed. "Hah, who cares, she dumped me anyway ... The bitch can burn for all I care."

Hal smiled and gestured to the cake as he chewed handfuls of it in his grease, gloved hand. "You know, if I had a choice of only one thing to eat, this would be it."

Nancy shrugged her shoulders and nibbled on a carrot at the corner of her mouth. "My foster family played a lot of guilt cards with me, but they weren't the worst people in the world," she told them, "When I turned 18, I bolted and got my own place."

"You bolted into the city during the riots?" Gale said, skeptically.

Nancy raised a brow at his doubtful tone. "I did, bonehead!"

The bums congratulated her for that with collections of cheers and nods. Gale just laughed and shook his head, obviously impressed with her feisty attitude. Then, there was a crashing sound off left of them and a man stumbled out from behind the garbage cans with a curse. He was wearing a dirty pair of brown pants, his arms wrapped up in bandages and he was wearing a ripped shirt with a target on the front. On the back, it read: "We aim to please". This man was a familiar face if Nancy ever saw one.

Gale laughed and gestured to the man Nancy knew all - too - well as Ethan Thomas. "And you remember happy boy, don't ya'?"

Nancy smiled in Ethan's direction. "Hey! Are you still that same asshole we know and love?"

Ethan glared at her with his heavy, blood-shot eyes and gave her the finger. "Fuck you..."

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, Prince Charming." Nancy joked.

"What are you doing here, anyway, Nancy?" Ethan snapped, staggering over to a broken chair. He plopped down into the chair and winced at the swaying of it before finally getting comfortable. "Come by to give us your famous pity sessions and how 'it'll all get better'?" He waved his arm in the air. "Why don't you just spare us the details and take a hike?"

Hal stared up at him skeptically. "Two seconds for the kid, is that gonna kill you?"

Ethan glared down at him. "Yes, it is going to kill me! I have calculated the time in my head, and two seconds is the exact amount of time that is a hazard to my fucking health."

Hal raised two hands in the air in a gesture meant to show that he wanted no trouble. Nancy, however, didn't take offense to it. Instead, she smiled and reached into a bag, pulling out a bottle of liquor. Ethan eyed the object with voracious hunger like a starved animal.

"I'll give this to you if you hear me out," she offered, waving the bottle enticingly in the air.

Ethan gave her a dirty look and snatched the bottle from her hands. "Fine," he snapped. He took a spot back in his chair and grudgingly opened the bottle. "Never have I seen anyone kiss more ass than you do ... "

"Ethan, come back to SCU," Nancy said, gently, "We need you back."

Ethan laughed and rolled his eyes before taking a drink. "Yeah, that'll happen."

"Come on!" Nancy insisted, "Shit's really hit the fan with this riot activity! You were the best! We want you back. Farrell misses having you there." When Ethan gave her a weird look, she rolled her eyes with a sigh. "You know what I meant ... "

"Wish in one hand, shit in the other one. See which one fills up first."

Nancy raised a brow skeptically at his choice of words. "Now you're just being disgusting."

Ethan gave her a sour look before he chuckled dryly and shook his head with pity. He slowly stood up from his spot and took another drink. "I'll think about it..."

"Really?"

His face hardened. "No!"

Nancy scowled at him now and jolted to her feet. "Why the hell not?"

Ethan stared hard at her, stepping close this time. The alcohol on his breath was almost suffocating and really reeked. "You were there!" he spat, gesturing to the streets, "You saw what they did! They never gave me a fair chance! They knew I was innocent and still decided to suspend me!"

Nancy sighed and shook her head. "So why don't you be the bigger man and prove them otherwise?"

Ethan turned and started to go. "I'll be the big man and turn the other cheek!"

Nancy scowled after him and threw her arms in the air. "Well fine! Fuck you then. You can sit here and rot!"

Ethan glared back at her furiously and pointed a deadly finger at her, like she had just crossed the line with swearing at him. "FUCK YOU!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"_FUCK YOU_!"

The bums watched the shouting match between the two, almost amused and still a little uneasy because they would have rather not have them fight at all. "Wow, there sure is a whole lot of fucking going on in this alley!" Hal remarked, chuckling.

Nancy looked down at them with dismay and noticed Ethan staggering away at the corner of her eyes. "Sorry, you guys," she said, "I thought that I could persuade him to help out with all the shit going on in the city. I didn't mean to mess up your night. I'll just head back to the office and do all the work," She called after Ethan in an angry voice with the last of her sentence, "LIKE I ALWAYS FUCKING DO!"

He flipped her off again in the distance and she could still see it pretty well as he disappeared around a street corner.

They laughed and spoke all at once with mixtures of "it's okay" and "no problem". That was just how it was with these guys; they never really took offense to much of anything. Nancy reached into her pocket and removed her car keys. She smiled at them gave them a two-fingered salute. They mimicked the gesture and laughed at her irritated expression.

"Enjoy the food," she said, "Check ya'll later. Stay safe out here!"

"Thanks again!" Hal called, "Pleasure as always!"

O

When Nancy reported to the SCU the following day, Rosa and Dorland were standing in Farrell's office, discussing something very important. She hated missing out on anything, but it was hard to get through traffic and dodge maniacs all in one shot and expect to get to work on time.

"Sorry, traffic was hell as always," Nancy said, "What'd I miss?"

"We received a call at 10:36 early this morning," Rosa told her, holding out a recording device. She placed it onto Farrell's desk and pressed play. "I think it has something to do with Ethan. The man specifically asked for him."

The voice was very familiar. Nancy was horrified to recognize it as Malcolm Vanhorn's voice. He sounded scared in his message and even desperate, like he had to hurry up with whatever he wanted to say before something would cut him off. _"Lieutenant, I'm afraid that Ethan Thomas ... He must be warned! He must know that it's not over! I've tried contacting him, but ... He found me! I don't have much time! Ethan trusted you! I - "_

And then it cut off. Farrell looked at Rosa with interest.

"Do you have any idea who this man is? Why he would have called you?" he asked.

Rosa shook her head. "No, sir."

"I do." Nancy told them, "It's Malcolm Vanhorn."

Dorland looked at her. "We need to get a definite positive on the ID of the voice before we jump to conclusions." he told her.

"Sure. Why should my opinion make a damn difference since I knew the guy…?" Nancy muttered with irritation.

Farrell was quiet for a moment, rotating in his chair in deep thought. He looked up toward the wall before speaking. "Where is former agent Thomas?"

Dorland shook his head. "We're not sure. It's been 11 months since his suspension."

Rosa gave him a chiding look. "He was cleared of those charges."

"Sheah, that did very good ... " Nancy remarked, tartly.

Dorland skeptically glanced at both women before he continued. "Right ... Well with his resignation and 'quiet' disappearance, he's probably passed out in a gutter drunk like a rat." He scoffed with disgust. "It seems only fitting anyway."

Farrell shook his head and actually formed a small smile at the corners of his lips. He spoke his next words with a small sense of pride. "No. A man like that doesn't just lie down quietly." He leaned back in his chair and looked at the three. "Let's find him and bring him in."

Meanwhile, Ethan was sitting alone in a bar, taking a swift drink from his glass. He uttered an angry curse and slammed the glass down. "If I wanted ice, I woulda asked for ice!" he snapped, tossing the ice aside onto the floor, "Now fill the fucking thing up!"

The bartender scoffed and put a bottle of whiskey onto the counter. "Fill it up yourself, macho man." he said.

Ethan didn't even argue and poured some alcohol into the glass. He watched the bartender walk away and after a few moments, return with a phone in his hands. Ethan frowned up at him, really wanting to be left alone.

"It's for you; says his name is Malcolm Vanhorn." the bartender told him.

Ethan reacted at the name and sighed, shaking his head. He felt nothing but old memories surface of how much he hated Vanhorn right now. But he felt too damn exhausted to really deal with him. He looked up at the bartender and gave him a look that told him he had no desire to talk right now. The bartender got the hint and scoffed.

"Right, but if he calls again, I'm hanging up," he snapped, sulking away, "I'm not some fucking answering machine."

Ethan sighed and stared down at his glass, feeling a wave of dizziness. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes for a moment.

There was no way that he was going to talk to Malcolm. Not now or ever again.

O

Dorland followed Nancy and Rosa in her clunker of a vehicle. As they drove down the streets in silence, Rosa stared at Nancy and the scars lining along her face and eyebrow. Nancy was attempting to light a cigarette with her lighter with great difficulty. She finally sensed Rosa's eyes on her and arched a brow.

"What?" she asked.

"Have you ever thought of getting those removed?" Rosa asked, gesturing to her own face.

Nancy smiled at her and raised her brows almost playfully. "What? Don't you think they make me look pretty?"

Rosa managed a laugh, but it was somewhat forced. "I suppose."

"I really don't have appearances on my list of important things to do right now, Rosa," Nancy told her, taking a puff of her cigarette, "Besides, even if they fixed the scars on my face, they probably can't fix my eye."

"Really … And why's that?"

"I'm partially blind in that eye. It's a little fuzzy, but not completely destroyed. It's kinda funny how it doesn't really screw up my sharp shooting, though."

Rosa made a thoughtful sound and leaned back in her seat. She noticed a sheathed knife sitting in between the seats of the car and reached out to take it. She pulled it out of the sheath and studied the blade with amazement. It was cleaned down and properly cared for, that was obvious.

"Wow, nice craftsmanship," she said, "Where'd you get it?"

Nancy smiled sadly and turned her attention to the streets so that Rosa couldn't see the emotion in her eyes. "My boyfriend gave it to me on our prom night."

Rosa raised a brow with intrigue. She wasn't sure what to say about a prom gift being a knife, but that wasn't her business to even ask. "Oh … That's right. LeRue told me about him. I've never heard you talk any more, though about him."

"That's because he's dead."

Rosa looked totally floored and carefully placed the knife back into its original spot. "Oh... I-I'm sorry to hear that, Nancy. I didn't mean ... "

Nancy waved her off and she still sounded slightly sad in her words, but she attempted to cover it up with her usual casual grace. "Don't worry about it." she said.

"May I ask how it happened?" Rosa asked.

"He was shot ... " Nancy answered, "By Ethan."

Rosa's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yeah ... "

Rosa was quiet when they pulled up beside a bar. When they climbed out, she looked at Nancy with worry. "Nancy, why didn't you say anything to Farrell?" Rosa asked, "He could have helped you get through it and..."

Nancy sighed. She wished that she never even brought it up. "No, Rosa." she sad, quietly. "Our mission is more important than my feelings."

Rosa was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "Do you think about him still?"

Nancy closed her eyes for a moment, collecting her thoughts before she looked up at Rosa with a weak smile. "All the time." She chuckled quietly and resumed her cool persona. "But don't worry. Holding grudges ain't really my thing. Too much time and effort I don't like putting out."

"_Dirty little liar!"_

Nancy ignored the eerily cheerful, sing-song voice of the demon who spoke from somewhere in the street near her. She didn't bother to look to find out, not when there were more important things to worry about.

"Let's go." she said.

They walked toward the empty parking lot where Nancy had last seen Ethan and he wasn't there in his usual spot. She glanced across the street. Sure enough, there he was having a standoff with a thug in a hooded jacket behind a tall fenced in area. The thug had a brick in hand and he was getting ready to throw it until Rosa quickly stepped up with her handgun. Nancy followed suit.

"Drop it!" Rosa commanded.

The thug turned and revealed his every detail; metal pieces wedged in his mouth and unhealthy grey skin. This was Inferi, but of course no one knew that. Nancy's eyes slowly widened when she realized that this was the same thug who she had seen so long ago in the alley when he had beaten that other man to death; when she was a little girl. He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders at the agents.

"Hey, we're just having a little fun." he hissed in a cool, composed voice. His voice didn't even sound normal. It was heavily distorted and almost sounded like a radio.

"Do it, now!" Rosa said, hard.

Inferi immediately opened his hand and the brick fell to the ground.

"Now step away," Rosa continued, "Keep your hands where we can see them!"

Inferi slowly began to back away from Ethan, giving him a mischievous look. Finally, he flashed Nancy a cheeky grin and turned, sprinting away. Rosa pointed her gun in his direction with a command to stop, but Dorland raised his hand and lowered her arm.

"Let him go." he said.

Nancy found that request odd, but she didn't say anything on it. Dorland reported back to Farrell while Rosa approached Ethan and helped him stand. "What was that about?"

Ethan gave Nancy a look that read 'I'd love to kill you right now' before he sighed and waved Rosa off and stood up. " … Forget it ... "

While Rosa gave Ethan the message that Malcolm had recorded, Dorland reported the name back to Farrell with a positive on the ID. While they exchanged words, Nancy continued to watch the direction that the metal thug had went, suspicious. She spotted him in the distance of the alleyway, blowing her a kiss before he took off around the corner.

O

"You're a real sneaky little bitch, aren't ya'?"

Ethan and Nancy were prepping for a mission to the Preston Hotel where they had to find Malcolm Vanhorn. Supposedly, that's where the call had originated from. Nancy had no idea what he was doing there in the first place, but at least she would go to find out. The debriefing would have went well if Ethan hadn't have occasionally tossed swear words in her direction.

"I bet you get off on that, don't you?" Ethan continued, furiously, "Being a pain in the ass!"

Nancy gathered her handgun and placed it into her leg holster before she turned and gave Ethan a sour look. Rosa passed the locker room and peered into the window to watch their interaction with intrigue, just to see how Nancy would behave. She had never really seen much of their interaction and with the new knowledge of Ethan having gunned down Nancy's lover; she wanted to catch it if Nancy broke her facade.

"Yeah, sweet talk will get you nowhere." Nancy told him, sarcastically. She walked across the room to gather a stun gun. It was better to have all kinds of weapons on you should you lose your handgun in the process during an infiltration into riot territory.

"Are you just good at pissing people off?" Ethan demanded, "Is that your thing?"

Nancy rolled her eyes, already bored with his insults. She looked back at him skeptically. "Okay, you really need to stop acting like a big, furry baby and just do the damn mission, alright?" She turned and mumbled very softly so that he wouldn't hear her. "It's the least you could do for shooting my boyfriend anyway ... "

"What?" Ethan said, angrily, whirling on her as he started to collect his holster, "What did you just say?"

Nancy spun on him, grinning back with as much effort as she could. Rosa read bitterness in her eyes now, broadcasted like the headline news. "Oh, it's nothing. Not a single thing."

Ethan laughed coldly and turned. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Suddenly, Nancy lunged right for him with a furious shout, jumping onto his back with the grace of a rabid chimpanzee. Rosa's eyes widened at that with surprise. She hadn't expected Nancy to do something that reckless and crazy, especially to someone as rough around the edges as Ethan Thomas. Ethan was so startled from the surprise attack, he toppled to the floor as she began to punch him in the throat and kick him in the balls. Luckily, it didn't hurt him much at all except for pissing him off.

"What the fuck are you doing you crazy bitch?" he shouted, trying to keep her hands away from his face before she clawed out his eyes, "Get off me!"

"Do you have the slightest comprehension what your bullshit has put me through?" she shouted right back, her voice filled with nothing but bitterness and rage. She had grabbed the front of his shirt and held him down to the floor. "It's not all about you, you know! I did my share of work and what thanks do I fucking get? Your goddamn mouth! That's what! You owe me more than you know!"

A flash of memory filled her head. She had struggled to move on with Leland's death, but it had been much harder than she thought. No one wanted to help her because of who he was. A lot of people were glad to see him dead and it only made her feel much worse than before.

"_How long ago did it happen?"_

"_Two months ago … "_

"_Okay. Can you give his name?"_

Ethan grabbed her arm in one tight grip and prepared to throw her. "I said, fucking get off!"

Nancy was thrown off of him and she fell to the floor, hard. She choked back a groan of pain and held her chest. "Okay, that actually hurt a bit ... "

"It better have fucking hurt!"

Ethan loomed over her and raised his fist in an obvious attempt to punch her in the face, but she rolled out of the way and jumped back to her feet. He stood in a half - crouch and prepared for her to lunge at him again. She crawled to her feet with a snarl of frustration. Rosa contemplated calling Dorland and LeRue to help break them up, but then, Ethan started laughing slightly with an edge to it. She couldn't quite tell if he was angry or amused by Nancy's move. He just shook his head with pity.

"You know you suck, right?" he sneered.

Nancy smiled angrily, breathing through her nose. "Fuck you."

"Fuck you, then."

She stood up and Ethan raised his fists in a fighting stance. "You never lunge at someone like that. They can overthrow your ass like a sack of potatoes." He gestured for her to stand as he was standing. "Stand like I do. You won't get anywhere out there fighting like that. If you fight with emotions, you want to use 'em like ammo. You push 'em way down into the pit of your stomach until they explode out."

Nancy shrugged and stood in the same position as he did. Ethan gestured to her feet. "Get your feet planted firmly, that way they have a bit of trouble with getting your ass knocked over." When she corrected her stance, he smiled. "See, I'm good in a fight because I can't feel anything. You, you're gonna feel everything."

Rosa smiled with relief as Ethan went over showing Nancy some good fighting moves. He even went on to show her how to retrieve a weapon from an enemy's hands which Nancy learned immediately. She was worried there for a minute that Nancy was going to blow up. She didn't know who this mysterious boyfriend of her was, but perhaps it was best not to ask anymore. After all, Rosa could tell that Nancy was still hurt about it, but she was attempting to be professional. Rosa had to respect her for that.

O

The Preston Hotel stood tall; a shallow form of what it once was. It was once of one of Metro City's most famous and prestigious hotels. Nancy remembered going there with her mother sometimes to pay a visit to some of her friends. Now, due to the increased number of homeless people and criminal activity, the hotel had to be shut down and abandoned for the drug addicts and hostile rioters to live in. Nancy was saddened to see the city she had once loved fall this far from grace.

"Dorland here! Rooftop is secure!" Dorland announced.

LeRue smiled and took a deep inhale of the foul air. He seemed eager to get into the hotel and slung his riot gun over his shoulder like a cowboy. "LeRue here. Ready to give this shit hole an enema!"

Nancy looked around, her weapon pointed high. "Morello here; I'm all good to go."

The helicopter pilot overhead continued to survey the scene below for any signs of drug addicts or rioters before announcing through their headsets. The roar of the chopper blades filled their ears. "_NO SIGNS OF ACTIVITY! GOOD LUCK DOWN THERE!"_

"Copy that!" Dorland acknowledged.

Rosa's voice pipe up through their headsets. _"Ethan, are you with us?"_

The others looked over toward the man standing away from them; Dorland scowled toward Ethan and noticed that the man seemed intent on something other than their mission at hand. His eyes were focused on something in the distance that he couldn't see or cared to see. Dorland moved over to him and pointed a jabbing finger into his chest.

"Listen, you agreed to help us, but if you want to go and crawl back into your little cardboard box, that's fine by me!" he snapped.

Ethan glared at him, but made no effort to lash out. "Back off." he warned.

Dorland pointed at him with his gun this time. To Nancy, he seemed like he really wanted to use it on Ethan and squeeze a few holes into him. "Let's get one thing straight, you're only here to help us identify and locate Malcolm Vanhorn, nothing more. Understood?"

Ethan scoffed and rolled his eyes, uninterested with Dorland's tough - guy attitude. "What the hell's your problem, Dorland?"

"You're a drunk and a liability, that's my problem!"

Nancy rolled her eyes at the discussion between the two. "Gentleman, if we can just lower the amount of testosterone and get moving; I don't want to stick around." she said, "It stinks like rotten ass out here!"

LeRue laughed. "Probably smells worse inside. Let's go."

Nancy made a face at his words before they followed Dorland toward an emergency exit. Dorland and LeRue were in the middle of an argument as they advanced.

" ... Just saying! Shit's fucked up in this city." LeRue finished.

Nancy looked around. "I heard that they call this place Needles Inn."

LeRue laughed and nodded. "Yeah, you got it; we have a lot of speedballers jacket up on coke, methamphetamine, you name it! They captured the drug lord Big Will here, but it ain't stopped the rush."

Nancy laughed skeptically. "Don't any of these morons have real grown up names?"

Dorland actually made an amused sound at her jeer this time before advancing to the exit door. He took several shots at the door's lock before kicking it open with one foot. Everyone poured inside and looked around for signs of life. When they were sure that it was in the clear, Rosa's voice filled the air from their headsets.

"_The call originated somewhere from this area. Be careful, team!"_

They acknowledged.

"Got it."

"Sure."

"No problem."

"Roger that."

O

The four entered the hotel's hallways, moving over cracks in the floor, stepping through garbage and crushing newspapers covered in dried blood and building remains. Nancy grimaced in disgust at the smell that lingered through the air. LeRue caught her look and laughed.

"Told ya'."

Across an adjacent hallway, something moved behind a set of bookcases. Dorland gestured for Ethan to look first. "Mr. Thomas, check it out!" Ethan brushed passed him as he slowly approached the area with his weapon and Dorland spoke his next words with icy severity. "Let me remind you, unnecessary use of force will not be tolerated."

"Don't mind him," LeRue said, "Nobody gives a shit about these drug - sniffin' freaks."

Nancy glanced at LeRue and made a face at Dorland's less - than - gentle attitude. Ethan simple gave him a look that said "no promises" before moving.

"Hey, did you guys hear the one about the cop and the monkey?" Nancy asked, looking at them both.

LeRue grinned at her attempted joke and Dorland rolled his eyes to the ceiling with a bored sigh. "Not in the mood for it today, Morello … "

"Yeah, the monkey wasn't either."

While they watched him, Ethan peered between the book cases and frowned as a half-naked, giggling shape darted through a hole in the wall and disappeared. "Shit ... " he muttered. He turned and looked back at the others with a simple shrug of his shoulders and they took that as a sign that everything was in the clear.

"All right, let's move!" Dorland said.

As they continued on, Dorland pried a piece of wood away from a hole in the wall and gestured for Ethan to take a look.

"You first, Mr. Thomas," he said, in that biting tone.

"Take it slow … " LeRue advised.

As soon as he disappeared through the crack, the sounds of gunfire filled the air. The three remaining agents ducked behind two beds to avoid being hit by shellfire. Nancy struggled to get her stun gun to work and she uttered a furious curse. Dorland fired several shots at the laughing thugs at the corner of the hallway before he glared down at Nancy with an incredulous scowl.

"What are you doing?" he shouted, over the gunfire, "Now's not the time to play with toys!"

"The point, idiot, of having a stun gun is that it works when you need it!" Nancy spat, glaring up at him.

"I have a power charger for it!"

Nancy laughed sarcastically and tossed the stun gun back into one of her pants pockets. "And I have a cigarette lighter that doesn't work!"

LeRue snarled and squeezed several more rounds out at the thugs. One shot took dead aim and blasted a bloody, chunky hole directly into his chest. The other remaining thug cackled loudly and ducked from the shellfire as if it didn't even faze him that his friend was a mushy pile of gore. LeRue narrowed his eyes at the mockery and attempted to take another shot. "Don't play possum with me, you soulless piece of human waste!" he shouted. He called out for Ethan. "THOMAS! FLANK THIS MOTHERFUCKER!"

Behind the thug, Ethan quickly moved and squeezed a round directly into his head. His brains exploded in a horrible spray of mush and gore and his lifeless body soon followed. Ethan peered over the bed to the others and sighed with pity, shaking his head.

"It's safe, you guys." he told them.

They climbed over the bed and Dorland stared down at the dead thug at his feet. He gave Ethan a less-than-gratified look before gesturing for the others to keep moving. Ethan made a disgusted face and Nancy just shrugged her shoulders at him.

"We're proceeding to the hotel lobby!" Dorland announced.

"_Roger that search team."_ Rosa replied.

They followed Dorland's lead to a group of elevators and Ethan frowned as Dorland attempted to pry a set of the doors open. "What the hell are you trying to do?" he asked.

"Taking a short cut now step back!" Dorland ordered.

The three watched as Dorland pried the doors open and peered down the shaft quickly. Ethan had the urge to kick him right in until he was just a nasty smear below, but he held himself in check. No reason to get in trouble for that douche bag. Nancy caught his urged look and she actually smiled and shook her head.

"I'll go first, LeRue will bring up the rear," Dorland told them.

"Ladies first," Ethan sneered.

Nancy uttered a stifled bark of laughter, attempting to hide it behind her hand and Dorland slowly turned, glaring back at Ethan furiously before he jumped right onto a ladder and slid himself down to the next floor without so much as a retort to the insult. _"Your turn, Mr. Thomas!" _he sneered, over Ethan's radio link. _"Morello, you follow then after him."_

"Got it." Nancy replied.

Ethan was the first to take the jump and Nancy followed right behind. She winced against the ladder and Ethan sighed skeptically at her condition. "What is it now?" he demanded.

"This doesn't look safe!" Nancy told him, staring down the shaft with worry. "What if it breaks? This hotel's been inactive for a while, you know!"

Ethan sighed impatiently and rolled his eyes. "Just move it, will you?" he snapped, "We don't have time for you to act pussy right now."

"Eat me … "

Suddenly, a loud snapping sound made them look up toward the elevator above. The aged, weathered wires holding it in place were inches from snapping completely. The entire elevator rocked noisily and the ladder began to snap from its rusted bolts. Ethan's eyes widened and Nancy groaned with terror.

"Okay, we're gonna die … " she stammered.

"Shit!" Ethan spat, "Move it!"

The two moved down the ladder as fast as they could, but it snapped completely off of the old holdings and the two were sent falling to the very bottom. The fall left them dazed for about two seconds. Ethan groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. Nancy looked up and her eyes widened in horror.

"Ethan, move, now!" she cried.

The entire, heavy elevator was plummeting directly for them like a dropping bomb. Ethan moved quickly and pried the elevator doors open with two hands. He grabbed Nancy by her arm and shoved her through first as if she weighed nothing and then he jumped out of the shaft, inches from the elevator crushing him. Nancy stared at the demolished shaft with amazement before she stood up.

"_Mr. Thomas! Morello! Respond!"_ Dorland shouted.

Static filtered through their link, distorting Dorland's voices and Nancy cursed angrily. "Shit. This building sucks ass for reception ... "

Ethan laughed with frustration. "Right; I guess that means we're stuck together. Now shit's really going to suck tonight … "

"You're about one cunt hair away from hillbilly heaven," Nancy warned, not entirely thrilled with his tone of voice nor his attitude.

Ethan laughed and started walking. He sounded absolutely sarcastic. "Please ... "

After a verbal exchange of swears and crude words, the two immediately began walking through the hotel with their weapons tight in hand. So far, they met little resistance. The riot activity hadn't spread to their side of the hotel just yet, which was good. They didn't need any more trouble.

"Look at this hell hole ... " Nancy muttered, kicking an old can aside with her foot. "It's just so horrible what's happened to it. This place used to be top notch, remember?"

Ethan peered into a room and gave it a quick glance before he looked at her. "Yeah, I remember coming down here sometime as a kid to play the arcade games. But what do you expect from a town with no ends? It's all falling apart now."

Nancy didn't reply to that and instead, just sighed. They moved through the hotel lobby and she cringed at the horrible smell returning to her nostrils. Why did every part of the hotel smell like something had died or had filthy multiple orgies over and over again? It was foul.

"Christ! It smells like a whore house at low tide in here!"

Ethan stopped and raised a hand in front of her almost immediately. His features were suddenly alert. She stared at him curiously and he gestured for her to be quiet. They stood there in silence for what seemed like forever when a bookcase across the hall from them fell away and a large, heavily muscular, shirtless man surged out from behind it. He had coils of chains wrapped around his knuckles and unhealthy gray skin. His mouth and eyes were dripping with blood, from obvious fights and they looked fresh.

"You're gonna fucking DIE!" he screamed.

Nancy's brows went up, stunned. "Okay, that's a big guy."

Ethan stood in a ready position as the larger man lunged for him and slammed his weight into the smaller man. Nancy stepped back to avoid being trampled as both men engaged in a brutal fistfight. Ethan took a sharp blow from one of man's meaty fists to his face, but it did nothing more than piss him off. Blood trickled down from his busted lip and he spat a little to the side before punching the larger man several times in his face. Wet smack after smack filled the air and the thug lurched with each blow.

Ethan kicked the man in his balls before glaring at Nancy and holding his arms out in disbelief. "Hey, feel free to step in at any time, you know!" He grunted sharply as the other man slammed all of his heavy weight into him, sending them both through a weak wall and into another room.

"Christ, you fucking piece of shit!" Ethan spat at the influenced man over him.

The sound of a gunshot filled the air and Ethan winced as the larger man went limp against him, adding several more pounds to his already sore bones. He grunted and pushed him off before glaring up at Nancy who held her smoking handgun in one hand. She smiled at him and put a hand on her hip.

"What the fuck did you wait for?" Ethan demanded. "You could have done that a long time ago!"

"Sorry. You looked like you had it under control." Nancy said, smiling.

Ethan gave her another dirty look and struggled to his feet. He found his balance after stretching a few times to get the feeling back in his legs. "Let's just get moving!"


	8. Part Seven

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish. **  
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"_Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part Seven**

_Metro City_

_"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers."_

-Psalm 1:1

Nancy was the first to step outside, handgun at the ready. She counted her shells and groaned with dismay. It didn't look good. Running out of ammo was really not a good sign when you were surrounded by lots of maniacs who were possibly armed as well. Ethan caught her look and knew what that meant.

"Almost out of shells?" he asked.

"Yeah … I got about … five left." Nancy said.

"Can we make 'em last?"

Nancy made a sarcastic sound in her throat. "Yeah, if all the rioters stand in a straight line … "

A loud, high pitched laugh filled the air and Ethan yanked Nancy behind a wall as a gunshot blasted right for her, nicking the wall inches from her face. She stared at the nick in disbelief and couldn't believe just how close it had gotten to taking her head off.

"Ha - ha! Come on out, bitch!" a rioter shouted from the corner; Nancy couldn't see him, "I got a little something for ya'!"

"Shit … " Ethan cursed, "Fuckers got us pinned."

Nancy peered over the corner very carefully and smiled thoughtfully, counting how many thugs there were. Sure enough, she was lucky to see that it was just the one thug. Hopefully, they could take him out before a lot more showed up. She had an idea, but it would require a bit of speed and some quick thinking.

"I got an idea. Watch this." Nancy said. She cupped her mouth and called back to the thug. "Hey! Asshole! You couldn't shoot your way out of a cardboard box!"

The thug snarled at the insult and squeezed several rounds from his weapon at the spot where Nancy occupied. She ducked out of the way to avoid the shots and snickered at Ethan. She gestured for him to go ahead and give it a shot. At this rate, the thug was going to run out of ammunition and attack them blindly.

"Come on, dip shit!" Ethan hollered, cupping his mouth, "Your grandmother has better aim than that!"

The thug screamed violently with blind fury and squeezed out several more rounds. Nancy counted them in her head as she grinned over her shoulder.

"You look like you fell off the shit ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down!"

That did it. The thug charged right for them with an animal wail. Ethan smirked and reached out as the thug rounded the corner and grabbed his weapon arm, twisting it. He delivered blow after blow from his fists to the thug's disgusting, pierced face, drawing blood and chipping away at his teeth. His body fell to the ground, dead and Ethan scoffed with disgust.

"Sweet dreams, bitch." he snapped.

The two looked up at the sounds of chaos in the hotel. It wouldn't be long until more showed up and with limited ammo; they wouldn't be able to shake them off very well without losing a leg or two in the process. "We gotta go, right now." Ethan said.

"No, let's stay and feed the birds." Nancy said, sarcastically.

"Not now, Morello…"

The two rushed into the lobby. Dorland's voice filled the air from their headsets and it sounded much clearer this time. Nancy approached a lifeless form lying in the center of the lobby. She bent down and touched the throat of the body to check for a pulse. She gave Ethan a look and shook her head, indicating that he was no longer alive.

"_Mr. Thomas, Morello, respond!"_

Ethan chuckled dryly at Dorland's anxiousness. "Relax; we're in the main lobby now."

Nancy switched to Rosa's frequency. "There's a body here."

"_Alright, what do you have for me?" _Rosa asked.

Ethan bent down and investigated the body for any kinds of clues. "Looks like an adult male," He picked up a blood-soaked badge that was lying beside the body, "Police officer. His badge reads number 46. This might be our missing officer."

"_The officer is Deputy Dennis Black. According to dispatch, he's been reported missing for two days now," _Rosa said, _"Can you determine the cause of death?"_

"Yeah," Nancy replied, studying the gunshot wound through the officer's back, "He took a single shot through the torso. Looks like an exit wound."

"_Has he been moved at all?"_ Rosa asked.

Ethan frowned and reached into his pocket to remove his field kit. Switching on the UV light, he scanned the entire area and noticed a wicked blood trail going back toward the hallway ahead.

"He's been moved, alright," Ethan replied, "From the looks of it, he tried to crawl to get help, but … well … he didn't make it very far."

"_Alright, keep moving. Vanhorn must be nearby." _Rosa told them.

Ethan and Nancy followed the path of blood and crawled over a couch to reach the other side of the hallway. They followed the bloody path as it continued down the halls into another room with an elevator. There was a messy splatter of blood in front of it with a handgun lying there as well. Ethan picked it up and checked the ammo count in the magazine. It was better to use it instead of leaving it there.

"Whew, now this looks like a nasty mess!" Nancy said, stunned.

"Rosa, we've found some more blood," Ethan said, into his headset, "Looks like Dennis Black fell from the floor over us. We're going up."

"_Are you on to something?"_

"Possibly."

Nancy looked up through the split in the ceiling above them and she groaned as Ethan pried the elevator doors open with two hands. Not again.

"Oh no, not another elevator," she protested.

Ethan grabbed her arm and gave her a shove. "Come on, I'll be right behind you one step at a time," he sneered, smirking.

"That makes it all better … "

Nancy groaned and swung her entire body over to the ladder. She winced against the cold, aged metal and climbed up to the floor above at a slow and very cautious pace, mumbling something about falling to hell before she waited for Ethan.

"Goddamn it … " she breathed, terrified, her back to the wall as she moved slowly around the split in the floor toward the door.

The two entered another hallway and Nancy took a deep breath of relief, her hands on her knees. "If I die today, I'm asking for better equilibrium in the next life."

Ethan noticed the trail of blood leading a path directly ahead of them and stopping at a door. He moved toward it and Nancy followed behind. There was a blood-soaked splatter across the front of the door where a hole had passed through it. Nancy ran her fingers over a small opening in the center of the splatter while Ethan observed a policeman's hat sitting on a chair beside the door. It was strange that the hat was just sitting there.

"Rosa, I think we're getting close," Ethan said, in his headset, "We're at room 212 and we got an exit splatter on the door. It looks like Dennis Black was shot down at this exact position."

"_Okay. Vanhorn must be close."_ Rosa responded, _"Keep searching."_

Nancy and Ethan stepped into the room and looked around for signs of any rioters or squatters. It was empty. There was a massive hole in the floor to their right and they carefully approached it, peering down to the next room below them. Ethan's eyes widened and Nancy gasped with horror.

"Jesus … " Ethan said, stunned.

Below them was the grizzled remains of a body and from the looks of things, it was spread out in a strange position, candles surrounding it almost like a ritual of some kind. Ethan jumped down the hole and Nancy followed, stumbling a bit into him before they looked around. There were many eyes drawn into the walls with blood and candles lit at their feet and several more were sitting on tables. At the very center of the ritual was the body of Malcolm Vanhorn. His chest had been cut completely open, exposing his internal organs.

Nancy blinked back her tears of pain at the sight of her childhood friend lying there and she looked away while Ethan tapped his headset. "Rosa, I've located Vanhorn."

"_Excellent!"_ Rosa said.

Dorland's voice piped up suddenly. _"Mr. Thomas, what's your location?"_

Ethan frowned and looked around for any evidence of a room number. "I don't know, uh … " He noticed a room key lying on a side table littered with empty Chinese food boxes and picked it up, turning it in his hands for study. "We're in room 119."

Dorland acknowledged. _"Copy that, we're on our way," _he replied, _"You are not to touch anything until we arrive." _

"_Ethan, in the meantime … send me a picture of the body."_ Rosa said.

Ethan nodded at that and removed his field kit, preparing the camera setting. He gave Nancy a look and gestured to the body. "Come on. Can't keep her waiting, can we?"

Nancy acknowledged with a nod of her own and regained her senses, preparing her camera setting as well. They both took several shots of Vanhorn's body and immediately emailed them to Rosa. It took a few seconds for Rosa to receive them.

"_Got it,"_ Rosa announced, _"Good work, you guys." _She hesitated for a second. _"Be careful. I hear it's getting pretty crazy out there."_

Nancy nodded at that and rolled her eyes. That was the biggest understatement of the evening. "Hell, you're not kidding."

Then, Dorland and LeRue entered the room by kicking the door open and they surveyed the gruesome scene around them. Dorland grimaced with disgust and LeRue whistled with amazement.

"Whew, this looks pretty fucked up … " he said. He flashed Nancy a cheerful smile and patted her roughly on her shoulders. "Hey, it's good to see you still in one piece."

"Good to still _be _in one piece." Nancy replied, smiling back.

Dorland looked down at the mangled body before he turned to LeRue and snapped his fingers. "Okay, we have to move quickly. Those maniacs are going to find us any minute."

Ethan raised a brow curiously. "And why would they?"

Dorland gave him a hard look and Nancy could see that he was embarrassed by something. "Let's just say mistakes were made … "

LeRue smirked and elbowed Dorland. "Our good buddy here blew up a meth lab and I'm sure they heard it clear to Burnside."

Ethan let out a mocking bark of laughter.

Nancy shrugged her shoulder and held out a hand to keep them from fighting any further. She then pointed down at Vanhorn's body. "Wait … So how are we going to get it out of here anyway?"

"Yeah. There ain't exactly a carrying case for things like this." LeRue added.

Dorland scoffed. "How do you _think_ we're getting it out?"

LeRue looked down at the body, and then to Dorland's expectant face before he grimaced with disgust, getting the idea. "Oh … "

O

The team raced out of the hotel desperately and onto the commuter tracks, with a massive crowd of armed thugs following behind them. Dorland and LeRue carried Malcolm's body in their arms while Nancy and Ethan trailed behind them. Dorland looked around breathlessly and snarled with frustration.

"Goddammit, where's our fucking transport?" he demanded, hoping the pilot of their helicopter could hear that and come.

Sure enough, the pilot's voice filtered through their headsets. _"I'm en route - two minutes tops." _

LeRue glanced over his shoulder. Ethan and Nancy were still trailing behind. "Better make that one; there ain't no waitin' for this table."

The pilot sighed over the headsets, irritated. _"English, LeRue."_

"Get your ass down here or we're toast!" LeRue shouted.

"_Roger that!" _

Dorland stopped a good several yards away and placed Malcolm's body down gently. He removed his handgun and aimed at the thugs alongside Ethan's left and took several shots, taking a few of them out. Then, he smiled and pointed the gun at a power transformer. Nancy's eyes widened in horror and before she could warn Ethan of what was going to happen, Dorland squeezed out a round and the transformer suddenly erupted in a ball of flame, sending them both flying through the air.

Nancy's body struck the fence near Ethan and once they both regained their senses, Ethan looked at her before watching Dorland and LeRue running off into the distance…behind a towering wall of flame and electricity. Ethan whirled and Nancy did the same. They were now face-to-face with the thugs this time and they were grinning and chuckling cruelly, patting their weapons in their hands.

"Fuck … " Ethan growled.

Nancy pointed to an apartment complex near their location. "Let's duck in there!" she said, "Quick!"

The two quickly sprinted for the apartment complex across a wooden board that didn't look as if it could hold any more than two people. Once Nancy was safely across, the two watched as two more thugs attempted to cross with them and the wood split clean down the middle, sending them plunging to their death below. Nancy and Ethan watched them plummet before taking a moment to catch their breath.

"Fucking fuck!" Nancy shouted, "That prick Dorland left us here to die by these toothless psychos!"

Ethan nodded grudgingly and rolled his eyes. "Finally something we agree on … "

The sounds of LeRue's and Dorland's breathless voices filtered through their headsets. Ethan and Nancy weren't too sure if the two men were even aware that they could still hear everything that they were saying, but they didn't really care either.

"_That should buy us some time."_ Dorland said, satisfied.

"_Sir, Mr. Thomas and Nancy are still back there." _LeRue protested.

"_He'll find his way. He lives in this filth." _

Ethan scoffed with disbelief. "Fucking dick."

Nancy rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air. "Great, now what the hell are we going to do?" she protested, "We're fucking stuck out here!"

Ethan looked out from the window and he could hear the sounds of the helicopter overhead. He squinted to the commuter tracks and ducked to avoid a brick being tossed in his direction. It was a long shot, but if they rushed and didn't waste time, they could probably make it. After a moment, he looked at Nancy and shook his head with determination.

"No. We're getting out of here," he told her.

Nancy stared at him quizzically for a moment before she smiled and nodded, getting the idea. Having this guy as company was better than fighting those maniacs alone. She would have rather had that.

O

"You don't want to call for help?"

Ethan was struggling to kick a door open that refused to budge and Nancy's constant talking wasn't helping him concentrate at all. He pursed his lips and looked back at her sourly.

"Help from whom?"

"Let's just call the police to come and get us."

"And tell them what?"

Nancy shrugged and threw her hands in the air, frustrated by the questions. "I don't know! Maybe we should mention about the situation!"

Ethan laughed sarcastically and held up his finger from the hand he wasn't missing one on. "Here's the situation, basically; 'Hey, bum - fuck police, I'm being chased by a bunch of guys in pig masks with bricks and - oh - did I mention one of your SCU members is a complete dick who happened to leave us for dead out here on Preston Hotel's godforsaken commuter tracks? Is there a special extension for that'?"

Nancy furrowed her brow, a bit nonplussed by his sarcasm. "Well, I wouldn't have put it that way…"

Ethan scoffed and returned attention to the door. "Just shut up if you're not going to help."

Nancy made a face before she reached into her jacket and removed a cigarette. She needed one right now to calm her nerves. She placed it into her mouth and started to reach for her lighter in her left pocket, but Ethan snatched the cigarette from her mouth and tossed it onto the floor. She gave him a furious look.

"What the hell was that for?" she cried.

"If I ain't drinking, you sure as hell ain't smoking!"

Nancy rolled her eyes with a huff of frustration at that and looked over her shoulder. She spotted a shadow dart into another room and then it disappeared. A strange whisper filled the air, calling her in a strangely serene voice. Nancy smiled slightly and slowly followed the voice into a room where a mannequin was standing, facing her.

"_Hey … aren't you dead?" _

The voice came from somewhere in the room and Nancy turned to locate it. As soon as she did, several more mannequins suddenly appeared along her left. Stunned and somewhat shaken, Nancy attempted to leave the room, but when she turned to the door, there were now more mannequins blocking her way, grinning down at her with their lifeless, empty faces.

"_I see you … Do you see me?" _

Nancy looked around in horror at the voices that seemed to come from every single mannequin staring emptily down at her. She struggled to regain her touch with the real world, but she could now see the demon that haunted her; many versions of it standing among the mannequins.

"_Wake up … Wake up your fucking memories!"_

Nancy's vision distorted the mannequins before her and suddenly, their faces split and formed hungry, dripping mouths filled with metal and roaring powerful, deadly waves of sound right at her. Nancy held her head and wailed out, struggling to block out the noise.

"No…leave me alone!" she pleaded, "Stop it!"

"Nancy! Snap out of it!"

Nancy's eyes opened and she looked up at Ethan's angry features. She looked around in confusion and noticed that the mannequins were gone. The room was empty, save for a single mannequin sitting uselessly in the corner as it was when she first walked in. It was just an illusion, a figment of her own frayed nerves.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Ethan snapped, "You can't run off alone unless you got a death wish!"

Nancy struggled to regain her senses and she groaned. She stood up and started to walk out of the room but not before returning, walking up to the mannequin and punching its head clean off before storming back out of the room again in an angry huff.

O

"_LeRue, help me with the harness while I get the body into position."_

"_On my way."_

Nancy and Ethan could still make out snippets of Dorland and LeRue's conversations as they made their way further across the tracks to reach the rally point. The sounds of gunfire filled the air and Nancy and Ethan took a hiding spot inside a shed. The gunshots were close by and the two knew that it was from the rioters attempting to take out the SCU chopper.

"_You guys need to get the situation under control; I'm a sitting duck up here_!" the pilot shouted desperately.

"_There! Subject is secure and ready!" _Dorland announced, after a long moment.

"_Roger that and clear!"_

Ethan looked at Nancy and spoke in a low whisper. "Alright, we can make a run for it once-"

Suddenly, the entire shed rocked violently and the two looked out and watched in horror as a commuter train blasted uncontrollably down the tracks, tearing through several thugs as if they were nothing but toys. Blood splattered across the tracks in multiple sprays all over the train as it finally slid to a halt.

"Oh my God … " Nancy whispered, horrified.

Ethan grabbed her arm, immediately taking advantage of the chaos while they still had a chance to escape. "We have to move quickly, now!"

Nancy nodded and followed him outside where they noticed several more drug - influenced maniacs had appeared and were beating at each other on the tracks, almost as if the train did nothing to deter them. Ethan squinted in the distance, noticing the shape of LeRue standing on the other side of a gate. He could still hear their conversations through his headset.

"_What about Mr. Thomas and Nancy?"_ LeRue asked.

"_Leave them."_

"_Are you nuts? They won't last a minute out there!"_

"_Leave them! That's an order!"  
><em>

Ethan snarled and jumped over the railing, racing through the crowd of rioters. A flaming Molotov sailed through the air and struck him in the arm, shattering to pieces. Ethan gave a shout of pain and gripped his wounded arm, dousing the flame that had caught onto his clothing with a few pats of his hand.

Nancy wasn't far behind; she dodged a barrage of bricks that were being tossed at her from a rioter on a top floor apartment complex. She glared up at him and pointed.

"Hey! You fucking asshole!" she shouted.

The rioter laughed wildly, holding another brick to throw at her.

Ethan stopped at the gate and beat on it with one fist when it refused to budge; it was locked from the other side. LeRue was also on the other side of the gate with his back to him. "LeRue, open the fucking gate!"

LeRue walked away as if Ethan and Nancy weren't even there. But they could tell that he very well knew of their presence. He deliberately ignored them.

"Where's he going?" Nancy demanded, stunned.

A portion of fence collapsed and a rioter wearing a vest and pig mask wasn't far behind it, rushing them with an old piece of pipe. Nancy had this one. He was the one who had tossed bricks at her to begin with and she wanted a little piece of payback. She removed a night stick from her belt and swung it into the rioter's face. A grunt of pain echoed from him and he reached to grip his face; Nancy swung the nightstick again and struck him in the stomach, causing him to double over.

"Let's go!" she shouted.

Ethan and Nancy quickly rushed onto an emergency stairway where the thug had emerged from the broken fence and spotted Le Rue ahead of them before he disappeared through a door.

"LeRue, what the hell's going on?" Ethan demanded.

The rioters were closing in fast and Nancy was eager to get out of there. She gave Ethan an insistent push and they quickly scaled a length of ladder to get to LeRue's side. Once on the other side, Ethan looked over his shoulder and noticed the helicopter soaring overhead. He quickly rushed toward a zip line and grabbed a hold of it.

"Come on! We gotta go!" he shouted.

Nancy gave a terrified cry when he grabbed her and yanked her close to him with one arm without even giving her a second thought to reconsider. "Are you insaaaaannnneee?" she screamed, as they slid down the zip line toward a window.

They smashed through it and contacted floor, inches before the zip line had snapped and dropped them to oblivion below. Nancy groaned and shook her head, struggling to regain her senses. It was dark, but she could still see a bit thanks to the broken window shining moonlight inside.

"Son of a bitch … Don't EVER do that again…" she growled.

Ethan smirked at her uneasy expression and then, a shadow darted passed them and he looked around, fully alert this time.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

Nancy stood up and gripped her nightstick in one hand. A voice filled the air from the darkness and it was slightly accented.

"Are you one of them? Do you make the sound?" The two noticed a man step out from the shadows, holding a lit lighter in one hand. He was wearing a sweater cap, glasses and ragged clothing. He leveled the lighter into their faces, searching for something. When he seemed satisfied, he stepped back a bit. "You look normal enough, but it's hard to tell sometimes."

"What?" Ethan snapped.

The man smiled at them, missing a few teeth. "The Dark Blood. The Metal Kings." He leaned forward and whispered very eerily. "The Oro."

Ethan and Nancy looked at each other, confused by the name. The man gestured for them to follow him. Ethan touched the wall where a symbol was written and gave the man a look.

"You know these people?" he asked.

The man cringed and shook his head, fear in his eyes. "Don't want to know them, but they know us."

Nancy frowned. "Do you know where they are now?"

Just before the man could answer her, the wood above them split and they ducked out of the way as the ceiling literally collapsed in between them, separating all three in a deadly wall of fire and debris. The air was filled with their coughing and thick black clouds of smoke.

"Nancy!" Ethan shouted, between strained coughs, "Nancy, are you alright?"

She groaned and struggled to keep away from the flame, coughing. She already felt like she was suffocating from the intense heat. "Y - yeah, I'm fine!"

The strange man was no where to be seen, but Nancy and Ethan weren't too concerned about him right now; not with a towering inferno between them.

"What are we gonna do?" Nancy shouted, over the blaze, "Where are we gonna go?"

Rosa's voice filled the air through their headsets. _"Ethan, Nancy, come in; are you there?"_

"Rosa…we're in a bit of a tight shit hole here…" Nancy groaned, holding her hand over her mouth. She was already feeling dizzy from the smoke; cigarettes were nothing compared to this.

"_You alright? Talk to me, I've lost contact with the team."_ Rosa said.

Ethan coughed and struggled to get to his feet. He breathed out his next word in a rough cough and managed to stand slightly. "Bastards."

"_Sounds like I missed something."_

"Nothing I can't take care of." Ethan looked back at Nancy and gestured with one hand. "Find a way out of here and quick! I'll catch up with you later!"

Nancy nodded and looked toward a door. She called back to him as she flung it open. "Don't get killed!" And she disappeared out of the room, inches before the ceiling collapsed a little more.

Ethan laughed curtly at that before returning his attention to Rosa. "Tell me, why was finding Vanhorn so damn important?"

"_I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me that_." Rosa said.

"No fucking clue."

"_We need to talk. Hang tight I'm on my way."_

That was really all Ethan and Nancy could do right now.

O

Nancy dodged a collapsing pillar as she ran through the factory packing area. She kept her face shielded from the flames that licked her skin and seared her uniform. It was getting so hot and she felt like passing out, but stopping to even catch her breath wasn't an option.

A chorus of child - like laughter filled the air and Nancy looked back with confusion. Her eyes suddenly widened when she realized what the source of the sound was. There were two female rioters dressed in creepy doll attire chasing her down. They were armed with what looked like lollipop saws. Nancy couldn't believe how weird things were getting now.

"Hey! It's our turn to play with you!" one of them cried, in an eerie high voice.

"Let's see if her head pops off!" the other shouted.

Nancy's eyes widened with terror and she ran as fast as she could down the lines of empty boxes and conveyer belts with the two women on her tail. There was no way she was going to let that woman attempt to put that theory to the test.

"I can't catch a fucking break!" she groaned, to herself.

There was a door up ahead of her labeled EXIT. Nancy said a silent prayer that it was unlocked and she made a mad dash for it. She grabbed the handle and sure enough, the door squealed open and gave her enough space to push her way through it before the women could get to her.

Nancy stepped into an alley and looked back as the two women struggled to get through the door at the same time without even attempting to try and move one at a time. Luckily for her, the rust and piles of rubbish in the way would prevent that for now. She turned and sprinted down the alleyway to get help and not waste time waiting for them to finally get free of the door.

The streets here were empty, much to her surprise. Maybe the riot activity had moved to the other side of town since the incident at the hotel. Most of the shops were practically boarded up and some of the windows looked smashed open. Looters had probably made their way through here when the shop owners bailed out for safety. It was like living in the apocalypse with no signs of turning back or any help.

As Nancy stepped onto the road, a beat-down pickup truck carrying several more laughing rioters rounded the corner up ahead with a loud screech and a blare from the horn. Nancy groaned loudly when she saw this and hung her shoulders in near defeat.

"Give me a goddamn break!" she cried; turning and sprinting into another alley as they gave chase.

The pickup truck could barely fit through the narrow alleyway; the metal scraped against the sides of the stone buildings, chipping away pipes, knocking garbage cans over and pulverizing boxes into nothing. Nancy ran as fast as her legs could carry her until she spotted an open window up ahead. Nancy scrambled over a dumpster and climbed through it, moments before the truck could crush her legs.

"Whew!" Nancy heaved a sigh of relief, leaning against a filthy couch.

The room looked disgusting and out of date, but there were no signs of any rioters, which was a good thing. Maybe now she could catch a minute to breathe. Nancy stood up and carefully poked her head out from the room. There were a few hallways going in several directions, and it seemed empty. She didn't even hear any sounds that would suggest people inside.

"_Nancy? Come in!"_ Rosa's voice suddenly filtered through her headset.

Nancy gave a startled yelp and tapped the headset. "Rosa, keep your voice down!" she whispered, fiercely, "I'm in what looks like an abandoned office building and there's no signs of any rioters. For now. I want to keep it that way. I just had a circus chase me halfway down the street."

"_What street are you on?"_ Rosa asked, softer this time.

"I caught a glimpse of it before a bunch of those whack jobs chased me down," Nancy said, "I think I'm on Stafford, can you get here soon?"

"_Good! I'll meet up with you there in fifteen minutes and we can wait for Ethan."_

"Roger that." Nancy answered.

She carefully made her way through the office building, keeping on her guard and watching every shadow. Maybe the maniacs were all near the east side downtown area. Sarah Brenton on the channel 10 news had stated that it was worse there.

There was a sudden rustling sound behind her that made Nancy freeze immediately where she stood. She looked over her shoulder, but saw no signs of anyone attempting to pursue her. Frowning worriedly, she continued to move at a much slower pace this time, but when she did, the sounds resumed behind her again. She continued this; stopping and starting before she couldn't take any more of the games.

Nancy stopped and spun around, raising her voice angrily. "Okay, just stop fucking with me and come out!"

No answer.

Nancy stood there in silence for a moment. Then, she glanced at mirror beside her near an office room and furrowed her brows, peering very close to it. She wasn't too sure, but there looked like something moving behind the glass. There was something about it …

Suddenly, the entire mirror shattered outward and out jumped a large, muscular shape, wielding a knife. Nancy was so stunned by the glass, she staggered back and the man lunged for her with a snarl. The move was too quick for her to avoid it. Nancy grabbed the man's weapon arm with both hands and the force of his lunge made her fall backwards with him following. She fell on top of a pile of rubbish and he landed directly on top of her, the knife inches from her chest.

Nancy had never seen such a horrible-looking man before and she had seen it all. He was shaved bald and had the most gruesome facial scars she had ever seen; the flesh around the left side of his mouth was almost completely gone, revealing the gums of his teeth and the sickly side of his tongue. It never changed; a constant grimace of unadulterated fury. He was wearing nothing but ripped blue jeans and a bloody apron and he had tattoos covering most of his forearms.

The man snarled down at her with effort, his putrid, disgusting breath stinging her eyes. He leaned forward and she felt the tip of the knife slowly starting to slide through the leather of her SCU jacket. She groaned pleadingly, desperately, hoping to God she wasn't going to die here.

Then, something changed.

The man frowned down at her this time, a bare hint of thought crossing his eyes. His horrible mask of violence faded slightly, but was still there to a lesser extent. He leaned forward some more, until their noses barely touched and his eyes roved over her facial details, studying her with some bizarre intrigue. It was as if he was searching for something in her face that she didn't see.

Nancy stared back at him desperately, too terrified to move from her spot. She was afraid that even the slightest movement would kill her. She was relieved to feel not much force in that weapon arm as before and too frightened to even wonder why.

The man continued to study her for a long moment, the rage in his eyes melting away. It was replaced with a strange confusion.

"Nancy … ?" he breathed, in a voice heavily distorted from the mouth wound.

Nancy had never seen the man before, so why did he know her? Most psychopaths these days enjoyed stalking their victims, so perhaps he was one of them. She had no idea that this was Leland Vanhorn; the very man whom she thought had long been dead.

There was a heavy thudding sound from outside and Rosa's voice calling for her. Nancy looked back and screamed desperately.

"ROSA! Rosa, I need help!" she wailed. "HELP ME!"

That was quite possibly the wrong thing to do.

Leland frowned down at her for a few moments and then, his face twisted with fury and he snarled. He raised his arm and struck her on the head with one meaty fist; a blow so heavy and sharp that it rendered her unconscious. Pausing once to check if Rosa was advancing, Leland looked down at Nancy's unconscious form, contemplating on what to do with her. After deciding, he grabbed her body in one arm and flung her over his shoulder before he turned and fled down the hallway before Rosa could catch up.

O

It hurt.

Nancy mumbled weakly and struggled to regain consciousness and her head hurt when she tried to move it. When her fuzzy vision restored itself, she was lying behind a fence of barbed wire inside a large, filthy room. The sounds of dog barking wildly echoed all around her, even though she couldn't see any signs of them. Nancy couldn't see over the sides of the wire, but she could hear everything around her. There was a table in the center of the room and many sharp, deadly-looking tools around it. They were covered in blood and looked to have just been recently used. There were also empty Chinese boxes, bottles of bleach and chemical waste lying around on several surrounding tables with papers scattered about.

Nancy stared at the barbed wire trapping her and she could hear the humming of electricity, so it was possibly not safe to go near them right now. She looked down and noticed a car battery attached to the wires, making them dangerously electrified, proving her theory.

"Hello?" she called.

Suddenly, a funny - looking face poked into view; an African American male rioter wearing a green, tattered jacket and blue jeans. He looked to be bare footed and his feet were wrapped up in tight, dirty bandages. Nancy recoiled from him as he giggled wildly at her.

"Good morning, pretty!" he hissed, "Sleep well?"

"Where am I?" Nancy demanded.

"You in a real big hole, girl!" the rioter sneered, "And you ain't getting' out unless he says so!"

Nancy glared at the laughing rioter and felt for her belt, hoping to shut him up with her stun gun if it decided to work, but she was willing to chance it. She looked down and noticed that her gear was missing; no, everything that she needed to defend herself was missing. When she looked up again, the rioter was holding up her equipment belt in one hand, grinning with delight.

"Looking for this?" he sneered, giggling again.

Nancy gave a scream of rage and kicked at the walls while the rioter continued to laugh at her. She whirled and pointed a deadly finger at him.

"I'll fucking beat your head in, you piece of shit!" she shouted, "When I fucking get out of here, you're dead! Do you fucking hear me?"

"Whoo - hoo! Got us a feisty little bitch!" he laughed.

"Let me out and I'll show you!"

The rioter just continued to laugh as he carried her things away, not even going to test her threat. Nancy screamed once more with rage and kicked the side walls again, but they refused to buckle. It wasn't fair that this continued to happen to her. It wasn't fair that she was being hurt at every turn. None of it was fair. And now she was being held hostage by a bunch of retarded drug snuffers.

The rioter brought her things to Leland, who was sitting in front if a cracked mirror at a table, listening to the sounds of Nancy's screams without much reaction. He looked up at the man and took the offerings, searching for anything that he could use or perhaps pawn off for food. He started pulling out gadgets and tossing them aside, rejecting them over and over again. The silly SCU toys were pretty much useless to him.

"No. No. No. No."

A flashback suddenly filled his head and he looked down at a knife that was sheathed on her belt. The same crafted knife that he had given her - long ago. He studied it for several moments, his features still impassive.

_Leland smiled at Nancy as he offered her a box. They were sitting inside her car beside the city high school, waiting until they could go to prom._

_Nancy opened it and smiled brightly. "Wow! It's awesome!"_

_Leland smiled at her. "Now you have a bit of me protecting you when I'm not around." He laughed quietly. "No one touches you but me. And this will guarantee that."_

_Nancy placed her arms around him tightly. "I love you."_

The flashback ended and Leland stared down at the knife emptily. "Nancy…"

He was haunted by several more of their past memories together. He attempted to shake them away, but it seemed that with her presence here, they just came flooding back. For nearly an entire year, he hadn't thought about Nancy Morello and now she was here, in his base of operations, in his head … Nancy's furious screaming still pierced through the air and interrupted the trip down memory lane. Leland put on a very cold expression and walked out to the torture room to meet her. She snarled when she saw him.

"What the hell do you want with me, bozo?" she demanded, "Who are you?"

Leland squinted at her and tilted his head to one side. "You don't remember me?"

Nancy laughed coldly. Right. She would remember something like this guy. "I remember a lot of pretty faces, but yours isn't one of them."

Ah, of course. She wouldn't recognize him in this state. Too much had changed since she had last seen him and too much time had passed them by. He barely recognized her himself from the scars on her face and her change of hair color.

"Hm. Well, that's a shame," Leland sneered, curling his good lip. It made his face look even more gruesome. "I thought for sure that you would remember your dear rat face."

Nancy's angry look quickly disappeared and was replaced with horror and realization. "Oh my God … " she squeaked, her voice tight with confusion and shock, "Oh God … " She looked him up and down for a few moments before her next words breathed out of her like a storm of alarm. " … Leland?"

Leland smiled and held out his hands. "In the flesh." He paused briefly and Nancy knew that he was referring to his facial marks. "Well … mostly."

Nancy looked to be at tears this time and her next words came out quick and almost jumbled. "But…Malcolm told me that you were going to die!" she gasped, "You had been shot and … "

"Well, dear Uncle Malcolm said quite a lot," Leland replied, moving across the room. He tilted his head in thought and made a sound in his throat. It sounded very cruel this time. "Well, he's not saying much these days anyway."

"Why did you kill him?" Nancy asked, pain tightening her words, "He was a good man who took care of you. He didn't deserve it."

Leland shrugged his shoulders calmly. "It was a necessary evil to understand them and their ways. I was left with no other choice." He turned and glared at her now. "Besides, he refused to listen and cooperate with me. Measures had to be taken."

Nancy was quiet for a moment before she responded. Her voice sounded terribly small. "You're not going to kill me too, are you?"

"Heh, well, that all depends," Leland answered, smiling rather nastily.

"On what, exactly?"

"If you get in my way. You seem to be rather good at that, if I recall."

Nancy went quiet again, unsure of what to say. She looked up at him with pain in her eyes; a look filled with so much anguish that Leland looked away, not eager to stare into the face of shame and self-pity. When he did look back, he stared at her for a few silent moments.

"You look well … " he said.

"Thanks." Nancy paused and looked at him warily. "What is it you want, Leland?"

Leland's eyes narrowed and he tilted his head to one side, exposing the tattered side of his face. He punctuated his words simply and with icy venom. "Take one goddamn guess." He watched a look cross her face and chuckled dryly, shaking his head; he gestured to himself when she remained silent. "I understand that I look entirely too different for your delicate tastes. The thing is, there isn't much to do on your free time except desecrate your flesh."

Nancy laughed and shook her head. The tattoos really didn't bother her. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm happy to see you alive, Leland," she answered, "Regardless of what you've become and what you've done. I'm just happy that you're alive."

Leland stared at her quietly for a moment before he scoffed. "Tck … still as naive as I remember … Such a foolish emotion … "

O

Nancy was unnerved by the repetitive sounds of dogs barking and no signs of Leland to be found. She wasn't too sure where he had gone, but she was hungry and wanted desperately for something to eat. She was almost close to eating a rat that had scurried into her holding cell.

Then, the door to the left flew open and Leland stepped inside, carrying two plastic bags of something heavy in his arms. Nancy looked up curiously and noticed a sweet smell of food in the air, something chicken and barbecue. She made a sound and Leland looked back at her.

"Hungry?" he said.

She nodded. He turned his attention back to his bag and removed boxes of Chinese food. Nancy licked her lips hungrily and he turned to her, carrying a box up. He started to slide the box through a small handmade gate. When she reached for it, he pulled away and glared at her threateningly now.

"No tricks," he warned, "If you try anything … "

"I won't," Nancy promised, shaking her head. She was too hungry to even consider pulling anything on him. The only thing on her mind was food.

Leland stared at her harshly for a few moments, no doubt suspicious before he pushed the box of Chinese food slowly into the gate. Nancy made a mad snatch for it and began to forcefully rip the box open. She began to shovel strands of noodles into her mouth.

He watched her quietly as she did. Nancy didn't care if he stared at her or not. She was just happy to finally have food in her stomach.

"I am keeping you alive for one reason only, Nancy," Leland told her.

Nancy felt a bad taste in her throat, but she played it cool and looked up. "And that would be … ?" she inquired.

"I want to know what you know about the Oro," Leland continued, "There's no point in using force if you cooperate willingly."

Nancy frowned. "I don't know anything about them."

"You're a liar."

Nancy laughed angrily and he could tell he very well that he had insulted her this time. "I am a lot of things, Leland Vanhorn, but never a fucking liar!"

She only used his full name when she was angry. He only chuckled dryly and shook his head, unimpressed with her vehemence.

"I know that your father was one of them," Leland continued.

Nancy looked surprised. "What?"

Leland chuckled and patted a folder on one of his tables. "I know a good bit about him," he said, "And most of those who actually live here in this city."

Nancy wanted to ask what else he knew about the man she had never met. "What else did you find out about him?" she asked, intrigued.

Leland shrugged his shoulders and he pushed the folder aside. "All in good time."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you will know when I feel like telling you. Right now, I want to know why your name is on their wanted list."

That was definitely news to her. She laughed angrily. "I don't fucking know!"

"Hmm … " Leland murmured, "I guess your mother never told you after all, then … " He grinned and it made his face look even more horrible.

"What?" Nancy demanded, "What didn't she tell me?"

Leland made a thoughtful noise and didn't reply to her question. He tilted his head in deep thought before smiling as much as the side of his face could allow. He turned and disappeared from the room, leaving Nancy alone and dumbfounded.

Several moments ticked by and two rioters rushed into the room, whooping loudly and excitedly. They looked slightly different than most of the rioters she had seen; they had metal pieces fused to the flesh of their faces. It reminded Nancy of the thug she had seen in the alley, but the craftsmanship on these guys was very rough, bloody and painful-looking.

"Come on out now!" the rioters chanted, with macabre excitement, "Time to play!"

Nancy struggled to stay back as far as she could from the thugs as they reached into the gate and grabbed her dragging from the electrified entrapment. She kicked and thrashed and struggled to strike out at them in any way that she could as they dragged her down a rubbish-filled hall.

"Let me go, you ugly fuckers!" she shrieked, "Where are you taking me?"

They didn't answer her questions, but continued laughing. Nancy could see several messages written on the walls from what she could guess were either dried up blood or waste. One read "PIT" with an arrow painted in the direction that they were taking her. Nancy wasn't too sure where she was going, but she had a feeling that it wasn't going to end very well.

They moved through what looked like a cafeteria. It was St. Joseph's Secondary School… She couldn't believe it, but it was. The cafeteria was the same where she had fought off those strange creatures and they had nearly taken her eye out. Then, they moved up a wooden board and through a door. Nancy looked around in shock. This was the gymnasium, but it was reconstructed to resemble a fighting arena with electrically charged fences and wires. The bleachers seemed to have been pushed back against the wall in a way to allow others to sit back and watch the fighting below.

"Whoa, wait a second!" Nancy cried, as they dragged her toward the edge.

"Bye - bye!" they chanted.

The rioters didn't give her a second to argue as they tossed her directly over the edge and into the arena. Nancy fell and struck hard wood; it was a blow so hard that left her head stinging with pain and blood gushing from a new tear in her lip. Her whole world spun and her ears were ringing like mad. She staggered to her feet and noticed a thug charging right for her.

Nancy barely had time to react at all and she was punched hard in the stomach with a blow that forced the wind out of her lungs. The thugs overhead cheered wildly, going practically ballistic by the sight of the police woman being beaten like a dog. Nancy struggled to regain her senses and groaned in agony.

"What's my name, bitch?" the thug who had punched her screamed. He spat wildly in her face as he continued to punch her. "What's my name?"

"AH!" Nancy cried out in pain.

The thug laughed cruelly at the cry. "'AAAAH' ain't my name. My mama didn't name me 'AAAAH'," he sneered, bringing his horrible face close to hers, "What's my name, bitch? WHAT'S MY NAME?"

_I can't do this. I can't let them keep beating me like this. I have to do something …_

"_Then fight back!" _

Nancy wasn't too sure where the demon was, but she suddenly felt a burst of strength she had no idea she was capable of. When the thug lunged at her again and threw out his fist, she ducked to the side this time and swung her left leg up, striking him hard in the face.

The cheering rioters suddenly quieted down, stunned by Nancy's quick retaliation. Then, it started back up again and this time, with more fervor than before. Nancy swung another kick, but the thug caught it and flipped her through the air. She landed hard into a pile of rubbish that felt suspiciously sharp, but she didn't care anymore.

The thug screamed and leaped directly at her like a rabid dog. Nancy shot out both of her feet in a wicked kickboxing move, kicking him hard in the stomach. The thug uttered a low grunt and flew through the air, catching a rebar attached to the fence and swinging himself out with the grace of a chimp. He landed on his hands and knees before quickly recovering. Now he had a weapon to attack her with.

Nancy ducked each fierce swing of the rebar that swooshed passed her face by mere inches. She could feel the air from the swing as it nearly took out her face in the process. A swing slashed at her Kevlar vest, but did not damage the skin beneath. Nancy had been trained for these kinds of fights, so she continued to dodge every attack, hoping that the rioter would tire.

No such luck there. He was running, screaming and spitting at her like a rhino on speed and with no signs of slowing down. He swung again and this time, Nancy grabbed his weapon wrist and twisted, bending it back so far, he howled in pain. Bones ground against one another as she applied leverage in just the right spot, after which the thug was flung directly into a filthy toilet seat.

"What's _MY _name, bitch?" Nancy snarled, grinning.

The thug glowered back at her, his filthy face smeared with blood and filth. He lunged at her again and this time, she ducked down at just the moment he attacked with one fist; she swung her own fist up, striking him in the face with enough force to chip the teeth out of his mouth.

He fell flat onto his back with a loud groan of pain and Nancy shrieked furiously down at him, quickly grabbing a brick from a pile in the corner of the fence. She crouched over the thug, who was moaning and spitting blood from his shattered jaw. Fury filled her lungs and practically choked her; she saw nothing but red.

"Is this what you like?" she shouted, down at him, "HUH?"

He giggled weakly at her, literally drunk with mindless insanity and that enraged the woman entirely to a new height of madness. Nancy beat the brick into his face, chipping away several more teeth and slicing away chunks of his flesh. She beat into him over and over again, grunting loudly with blind effort and rage. Blood and flesh flew through the air, staining her face and clothes, and she continued beating him until his head was almost completely pulverized into a pile of mush and gore.

Suddenly, a strange laugh filled the air, and it quieted the rioters down entirely. Nancy looked up at the sight of Leland walking into the arena, laughing loudly with mirth and clapping his hands. He looked utterly amused.

"Well, well, well," he sneered, "Looks like little Miss - High - and - Mighty ain't so perfect after all!" He cackled again and clapped his hands together several more times. "Beautiful! Simply beautiful!"

Nancy looked down at the blood-soaked brick in her hand; this was followed by a slight widening of her eyes and a parting of her lips, almost as if she had just realized the extent of what she had done. She looked down at the corpse and dropped the brick as if it were a hot potato, snapping back to reality. Leland continued to laugh at her.

"Oh, 'I would never take a human life. I can't do that'!" he sneered, mocking her. "I do believe that this calls for a celebration!" He grabbed the corpse of the thug and began dancing around with it, singing a horribly, off-key song. "There still appears to be life in this creature after all! Would you like to take the rest of it?" He laughed again.

Nancy moaned and held her head with two hands, trying to blot out the sounds of his mockery. "You wanted me to do this … "

Leland chuckled and dropped the corpse onto the floor as if it were a bag of garbage. "And you performed quite well, I might add! This arena was built to tests my experiments as you can see. You were just one of many ... "

Nancy whirled on him angrily, pain in her eyes. "Why would you even think of treating me like this?" she shrieked, "What have I done to you to deserve that?"

"Not a thing," Leland answered, shrugging his shoulders calmly. "It was all a test … A test to see just how much you are like him and it worked. You have his reflexes and his ability to counter even the most extensive damages."

"Who?"

"Ethan Thomas, of course," Leland answered, "Though not as extreme as his own, you have certainly shown me that you are quite similar."

"What do you want?" Nancy asked, her voice shaking. She didn't even want to ask how similar she was to Ethan or not. She didn't even care. She was too upset by the scheme that he had set up on her.

"What I want is something entirely different," Leland replied, "I have found a path. A true path. And not a single soul will keep me from that path."

Not even Nancy. She knew that was what he was getting at.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Leland smiled. "You'll see. And maybe you'll live long enough to observe the end result … "


	9. Part Eight

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish. **  
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"_Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part Eight**

_Metro City_

_"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."_

-Psalm 91:1

Rosa slowly and carefully moved down the destitute alleyway to meet up with Ethan. She occasionally looked around warily for signs of movement in the shadows.

Suddenly, a man bolted passed her, causing her to cry out in shock and draw her weapon upon reflex. He simply looked back at her for a brief moment before continuing on foot, almost as if he was terrified of something. Rosa took a small breath to regain her senses and decided to keep her weapon drawn. She barely made it several paces when a hand shot out and grabbed her armed hand. Rosa started to fight with the assailant until she looked up and realized that it was Ethan.

"Dammit!" she shouted, pushing away from him, "You scared the crap out of me, Ethan!"

"Where's your car?" he asked.

Rosa gestured with a flirt of her head. "Just down the street."

Ethan nodded. "Good, let's get the fuck out of here."

Rosa gave him a look and held out her hand expectantly. Ethan stared back quizzically. "My gun?" she said.

He rolled his eyes and placed the weapon back into her hand. Once she had it fitted back into her hip holster, she looked up at him again. "I need to show you something at the office first."

Ethan scoffed in disbelief. She had to be joking about that; he had no desire to go back to that hell hole. "You're kidding! I'm not going anywhere near that place!" He leaned forward and spoke severely. "I might do something I'll regret."

Rosa rolled her eyes at the threat. "Listen, just calm down a minute," she told him, "I may have found something important. A connection."

Ethan gave her a bored scowl. "Between what?"

"Between you and Malcolm Vanhorn."

Ethan looked stunned by the knowledge.

As they walked to Rosa's car, Ethan began to notice that something wasn't quite right. Nancy's car was parked a good bit away near the Preston Hotel and he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to have met up with her.

"Rosa, did Nancy catch up with you?" he asked.

Rosa shook her head; doubt crossed her eyes as well as unease. "N-No."

Ethan stopped and stared at her in shock. "What?"

"She wasn't at the meeting point!" Rosa said, looking at him with worry still in her eyes, "I looked around for her, but there was no signs of her anywhere! She must have run into trouble and made it back to SCU by now."

Ethan gave a quiet groan of disinterest. All the more reason to use that as an excuse to get him back there. He didn't want to, but whatever chance he had right now, he had to take it. He had to know what connected him to Vanhorn.

O

Ethan stormed furiously through the SCU office in a rage.

He turned to an office employee, recognizing her as Sally from a year ago before he had left the SCU. She worked in the financial offices and covered the funding and pension for the agents. He never knew her last name, but really didn't care to do so right now.

"Hey, financial office lady, you seen Dorland anywhere?" he growled.

Sally shrugged her shoulders and collected several folders into her arms. "No. Why?"

"Oh. No reason. I just need to beat the living piss out of him."

Sally looked around cautiously before she leaned forward and whispered softly to him so that no one else would hear her. "Special Agent Nancy Morello hasn't come back either."

Ethan looked shocked. "What?"

"Yeah. She's been missing for several hours now. Everyone's starting to talk."

Ethan snarled with frustration and beat a fist into the wall. He knew he shouldn't have let that girl out of his sight. All she did was get into trouble. He stormed noisily into a bathroom and Sally watched him go with dismay. She looked up at the sight of Rosa approaching and gestured to the bathroom, mouthing the words, "watch out" before she walked away.

Rosa sighed and stepped into the bathroom. Ethan wasn't around, but she knew that he was hiding himself in one of the stalls.

"Ethan?" she said, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." Ethan snapped, from behind the middle stall. "Just leave me alone."

Rosa raised a brow and leaned against the wall with her arms behind her back. She was used to Ethan's 'leave me alone' mentality. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

Rosa was quiet for a moment before she tried not to smile in her voice, but she knew that he would have caught it anyway. " … You're in the woman's bathroom."

Ethan said nothing, but instead sighed heavily with frustration.

"Look, Ethan," Rosa said, "I know that things haven't worked out exactly the way that we wanted, but you need to talk to Farrell about this. Work with us ... please."

Ethan took another sigh. "Fine ... "

O

Mayor Rachel Mars stepped into the museum's lobby with determination in her stride and grace in her features. The 55 year old leader was determined to prove to the city that life would go on for everyone. She was determined to open the museum no matter what.

It seemed as if the guards weren't here to start their shift yet or they were on the other side of the museum. Well, Rachel was hoping that there'd be more around the area, just in case something was to happen. She always liked staying one step ahead of the game.

Rachel strolled outside passing several coy ponds; there weren't any fish yet, but she had hoped that there would be soon. Tourists and citizens of the city loved that kind of thing and it would make things seem a little less dreary. Maybe the entire museum should be created with that feel. It was a small thing, but a little change would go a long way. People needed that.

"Miss Mars … "

She stopped at the door to the medieval tools gallery and looked over her shoulder. No one was there, just empty path and cawing crows above her. Rachel frowned and entered the gallery where she was told to meet the curator. It was a strange area, but Rachel wouldn't complain because it seemed secluded and out of sight from possible thugs.

When she stepped inside, Leland appeared from behind a large wooden crate.

"Evening." he hissed.

Rachel whirled and gave a cry of terror. When she saw the details of his face, it only added to her terror. "Oh… Oh, my God!"

Leland began to slowly advance on her. "Yes, and it's just the two of us together at last," he sneered, "And we're going to have a little chat."

Rachel attempted to run the other way, but Leland was just as fast; he grabbed her arm in one crushing grip and she spun around, scratching the unmarked side of his face, leaving a wicked rip into his skin. Leland gave a shout and released her, holding his cheek.

"Not my face!" he howled, "Not my face, you stupid little bitch!"

Rachel spotted another doorway and attempted to go for it, but Leland kicked a large table out and pushed it toward her. It slid into her legs, knocking her to the floor. She gave a cry of pain and stared down at her broken leg; the bone was jutting out from her ankle and she wailed again. Leland grinned, blood trickling down his cheek from where she had scratched him.

"Ooh, that had to hurt!" he sneered, "I heard that bone break clear over here!" Rachel attempted to crawl away from him, but he grabbed her ankle and dragged her screaming back. "Ah - ah - ah … Come here. Don't leave so soon … "

Rachel tried to scream, but Leland covered her mouth with one hand.

While this was going on, the guards were in the locker rooms, preparing for their shift. One of them glanced over his shoulder with confusion, almost as if he had heard the chaos going on, but shrugged his shoulders and resumed his task of getting ready.

Rachel was tied down to a wooden table in the center of the gallery, tears streaked down her cheeks and her moans muffled by a cloth shoved into her mouth. She couldn't move her arms and legs very well because he had tied them practically to the breaking point.

Leland worked carefully and efficiently, attempting to decide what tools to use first. He whistled a particularly eerie tune to himself as he did, which made the situation seem all the more hedonistic. Rachel watched as he unraveled a cloth that had various cutting tools inside. Her eyes widened in horror. She wanted to scream if it wasn't for the cloth shoved into her mouth.

Leland looked at her now. "You will teach me what I want to learn," he told her, "You should be proud of yourself. Many make sacrifices so that others can learn from them."

Rachel mumbled something and Leland smiled at her. "Look on the bright side. It's all in the name of Science, just like you said two years ago when the city started to crumble." He leaned forward and whispered harshly, his voice dropping to a dangerous register. "I know that you're with them. I know that you serve the cause that I desire. There's no use playing coy with me."

Rachel whimpered in terror and attempted to say something, but the cloth impeded her speech; Leland arched a brow at the attempt. "I suppose you have something to say on the matter?"

There was a fierce and terrified nod from the woman.

"Very well then; but if you so much as attempt to scream, I'll cut your tongue out."

Rachel uttered a quick gasp when he removed her gag and she stared up at him pleadingly. "Please, SKX, you don't want to do this. Let me go."

Leland sighed and rolled his eyes, a bored grimace touching his face. "Ahhh, now just how many times have I heard that before?"

Rachel struggled with the ropes that held her wrists and legs firmly to the table. "What do you want? Money? Fame? Power?"

Leland scoffed and stared at her with a grimace of disgust, as if the very thought of what she offered insulted him more than anything else. "What would I want with your petty offerings?" He touched a hand to his chest and stared at her with a mocking smile. "Am I not just a 'psychotic, drugged deadbeat in need of severe punishment'? Those were your words."

Rachel groaned with defeat and looked away, shame in her eyes. Leland chuckled softly at her expression and approached an antique grindstone. He brought his hunting knife to the end and pressed a foot to the pedal, slowly rotating the wheel and sharpening the blade. He smiled over at her.

"Have you ever had dreams, Miss. Mars?" Leland asked.

"No!" Rachel answered, terror tensing her voice more than she wanted to.

Leland chuckled softly. There was no sympathy in his voice. She could see him studying the knife with intrigue and knew that he had plans on using it on her. "I have them. Sometimes they excite me, and then sometimes they give me shivers; terrified little shivers."

"Please, just let me go!" Rachel begged.

Leland stared back at her with false surprise. "But Miss. Mars, you had so much powerful words to offer the city on the radio. I'd say you even moved me with your lies." He patted his own chest with one hand in a mocking display of shock. "Now here you are, pleading with me for your life like a frightened little lamb ripe for the slaughter. I confess myself … disappointed. As a member of the Oro, I thought that you had more pride than this."

At that, Rachel's eyes slowly widened in horror at the mention of the organization. How had he known about her position among the Oro?

"Please…" she begged, straining against the table, "I wouldn't hurt you. I wouldn't."

Leland stared down at her without pity and raised his brows. "Yes you would."

Rachel stared back at him in disbelief, eyes wide and streaked with tears. She didn't know what to say this time to save her own life. It seemed like nothing she said was going to stop him from killing her. She was as good as dead here on this table.

"Miss Mars, I want you to say something to me," he said, "Just four little words." He leaned forward and brought his face inches from her own, punctuating each word slowly and harshly. "I ... Want ... To ... Die."

Rachel attempted to scream, but Leland stuffed the cloth into her mouth to stop it. "Stupid bitch." he snarled.

He raised the knife and brought it down into her back. Blood immediately gushed from the puncture wound and Rachel's screams stopped. Her body seized violently in pain as he began to cut into her spine with ease, slicing through skin and tendons as he carved an X shape through her body. After a moment of cutting, she had stopped struggling and had already gone limp on the table, which made it that much easier for him to carve his way into the prize that he wanted.

They were deep, but he had found the metal piece drilled into her spine and ribs. With a grunt, he looped his fingers around the piece and ripped it out of her body, sending a spray of blood across the walls of the exhibit. Leland grinned excitedly and brought the blood-soaked piece up into the light to better observe it. It wasn't like any other metal he had ever seen before; it had small symbols carved into it and bizarre - shaped screws.

"Excellent!" he sighed, "It's beautiful ... "

"So you killed her ... "

Leland whirled and noticed Dorland standing there. He scowled darkly. "You were foolish to come here..." he said.

Dorland chuckled quietly and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't seem as upset about what he was seeing. "I originally came to warn Miss Mars about the murderer, but it seems that there isn't much of a point right now."

Leland narrowed his eyes at him. "You told me that you'd stay away ... "

Dorland nodded his head and this time, he looked grave. "I would have stayed away, but you're making a mess of things," he snapped, "We agreed that you take them out for me and you do it quietly. I gave you the tools that you needed and I kept the police off of your turf; but Thomas is starting to suspect something as well as that stupid girl Nancy."

Leland chuckled quietly and returned his attention to his work. "I wouldn't worry too much about Nancy," he said, "She's ... a bit tied up at the moment."

Dorland walked up to him and scoffed in disbelief. "That little bitch will ruin us. I'll kill her myself if you don't have the stomach for it."

Leland suddenly whirled on him with a fierce shout of rage and grabbed his throat. He shoved him hard into the wall. "You won't lay a hand on her so long as she is in my clutches," he hissed, "The Oro commands that - "

Dorland grinned through his closing windpipe. "You kill me and you lose your chance to become one of us!"

Leland snarled at him and opened his hand, dropping the man to the floor. "Fine then," he snapped, "I will do my part as I always have. But remember our end of the deal."

Dorland rubbed his neck with one hand and nodded coldly. "As do you," he said, turning and walking away, "Goddamn freak ... "

Leland watched him go and chuckled lowly. He brought the metal piece up into the light again and studied it for a moment. "When the time comes ... " he vowed, "I will enjoy making you bleed ... Agent Dorland."

O

Nancy groaned in frustration and struggled to reach for the crowbar lying on the floor away from her prison. Her fingers lightly brushed the edges of the tool and she leaned back with a heavy sigh. Looking around, she attempted to find something that she could reach it with. Her eyes landed on an old coat hanger and she picked it up, getting an idea. She twisted it and bent it so that the gnarled part of the hanger was jutting outwards. Carefully reaching over the electrified fence, Nancy attempted to unlock the padlock with the bent hanger. After a moment of struggling, the lock popped open and she grinned with relief.

Nancy pried the sliding door open and squeezed her way out of the cell. Several other imprisoned men watched her with howls of excitement. She ignored them and decided that she had to make a run for it while Leland was gone. She started to run for the door, but stopped and caught notice to several scattered papers across a table. She frowned and fingered through each one, reading them despite the blood and food stains all over the edges. She wasn't sure how Leland had acquired some of these papers because they had the SCU mark printed on the paper.

"SCU ... ?" she mouthed, "How'd he ... ?"

She knotted her brow with concern. Another paper caught her attention; it looked like a death certificate.

GIOVANNI F. MORELLO.

It was a document on her father. How did Leland get a hold of anything regarding her father before she even did? Nancy didn't even know how he died let alone anything more about him.

Nancy flipped through the stack of papers. Her eyes roved over the details and her breath caught in her throat when she learned that Leland was right after all. Everything that she had ever dreamed about her father was wrong.

_28 year old Giovanni Francesco Morello had suffered fatal gunshot_

_wounds to the chest early April morning. His time of death is believed to_

_be between 4:33 and 5:20 AM. Several witnesses claimed to have heard_

_strange noises from their homes hours before the shooting took _

_place. Due to his history of criminal activity, many reports suggest that_

_Giovanni Morello was murdered over a possible gang feud._

Nancy had never heard of that happening before. Her mother had never mentioned anything gang related in their household when she was still around. Something about the story seemed … off. She noticed something sticking to the paper and furrowed her brow, peeling it aside. Much to her surprise, it was the very same report, but it looked to be different; it was altered in some way to make it seem a little out - of - the - ordinary.

_The subject is 28 year old Giovanni Francesco Morello. His time of death_

_was believed to be around 4:33 and 5:20 AM. According to reports,_

_there was a bizarre wave of radio frequency interruptions around_

_the same time of Giovanni's murder. Others in the area reported loud, _

_strange, high-pitched sounds. _

_A later autopsy report revealed that Giovanni had several _

_metal alloys planted through his body that seemed to vibrate_

_when drawn close to high - pitched sounds. The metal pieces_

_have been confiscated by Mayor Rachel Mars for further study._

Nancy stood there, shocked. Her father had been killed in this city and his death covered up? Why would the story suddenly be changed by the police? Did someone among her know something that they weren't telling her? That wouldn't surprise her given the fact that she and Ethan both were left to die. Someone didn't want them alive for a reason.

"_Looks like you're precious father had a nasty little secret!"_

Nancy looked over toward the demon sitting on the table beside her. She closed her eyes tightly with pain and then, glared at the thing. She didn't want to ignore it this time. If there was even a glimmer of knowledge floating around, she wanted to know about it.

"Why would he be killed, then?" she asked, "What reason did anyone have to kill my father?"

The demon chuckled softly, the green eye moving about. _"It all has something to do with _them_, Nancy,_" the demon responded, _"Think about it. Your mother knew these things as well, but she was left alone. Why is that, Nancy? Why would he be killed, but your mother allowed to live?"_

Nancy laughed bitterly and shrugged her shoulders. "Because she was insane," she said, despite the fact that she didn't enjoy saying it, even though it was true, "All my mother did was ramble on and on to herself. No one really listened to her."

The demon tilted its head to one side in a bizarre gesture of deep thought. _"Perhaps … But I don't think that's the entire reason at all. What do you expect to find out other than the horrible truth? It can be very ugly."_

Nancy glared at the creature. She was losing her patience and the mocking tone was grating at her nerves. "Just shut up. I've had enough!"

The demon laughed softly and leaned closer to her. _"She still sees things, Nancy, despite the medication they have her on. You do too. You see what the others can't see. You know things that they don't want you to know. There's another among you just as gifted."_

"Who?" Nancy snapped.

"_I believe his name is Ethan Thomas," _the demon answered, chuckling again, _"He has something inside that they want from him. Your dear friend Mister Vanhorn knows, now you do."_ There was another laugh. _"You're both fucked up in your own little way."_

"Shut up!" Nancy shouted, grabbing one of the bottles of liquor and chucking it right at the demon.

The creature was gone and she was alone again, left with the barking dogs and insane homeless behind their electrified fences and various other kinds of entrapments. Nancy made a sorrowful sound and rubbed her face with one hand. She was losing it. She was going to end up just like her mother; stuck in a nut house with even more nuts.

Nancy thought about it. She could just run out of here. Run and get help from Rosa in the SCU. But Leland seemed to know things. Know something about what was going on in the city. That and she still had an attachment to him. Even though he was still a psychotic maniac, she still felt as if there was good left in him. He was such a good person before and that was what she wanted again. She just wanted than good man back.

"Hey!"

Nancy looked over toward a fenced in cell. One of the homeless men beckoned to her with one bony hand and she furrowed her brow, approaching the electrified cell carefully. He was covered in dirt and dried sludge, his hair long and matted and he had a thick, grayed beard.

"What?" she asked, carefully.

The bum glanced both ways before he whispered to her. "I know what it is he's doing!" he whispered, "He wants to become on of them; one of the Metal Kings!"

"You mean the Oro?"

"Yes!" The bum nodded his head fervently. "He wants to achieve the highest power!"

Nancy frowned at him suspiciously. She didn't trust anyone around in this dump, even if they were Leland's little pet projects. "Why are you telling me this? How do I know that I can trust what you say?"

The bum smiled broadly, revealing his dirty, chipped teeth. "I can see into the future, silly thing! I see your future and it is dark!"

Nancy raised a skeptical brow at that. Now she knew that he was just an insane little man. "You see into the future, huh?"

"Yes!" the bum insisted, "You will not live if you continue to try and save him! You cannot change the heart of an evil man!"

Nancy chuckled dryly. "Okay, crazy guy," she said, standing up, "I can see the future too. You know what it says? It says that I'm about to walk away from you."

The bum watched as she walked away and he called after her. "DON'T RUN FROM IT! IT'S THE TRUTH!" he shouted after her, "NANCY!"

O

She had to give him credit. He made perfectly sure that she wasn't going to leave.

Nancy walked into what had once been the Trenton District's Bowling Alley and noticed that two rioters standing in front of a double door with their arms folded and grinning cruelly at her. Several more stood beside the exits and windows, armed with pipes and even a few held guns in their hands. There was no way that she could escape with that much firepower.

"Okay, boys, I see what he's doing," she told them, "He really doesn't want me going anywhere, huh?"

They laughed nastily at her in response.

Nancy knew that she couldn't take them all on. Not in her condition and certainly not on her own. She only wished that she knew where her headset was; she could contact SCU to come and rescue her if she could. She had no idea where that ugly fucker took her stuff.

One of the rioters gestured roughly to her with his handgun. He didn't seem as insane as the rest to her, but still pretty much there. "Step away, pig." he hissed, cruelly.

Nancy held out two hands in a backing-off gesture. "Okay, chief," she replied, taking a few steps back, "Take it easy. I'm backing off."

"I ain't lookin' for trouble, but I will shoot you." the rioter sneered, grinning broadly at her.

She believed him.

Several crueler, scattered laughs echoed from them. Nancy turned and started to walk away until she heard the double doors open and Leland emerged, carrying a bowling bag in his hands. He smirked when he saw her standing there, helpless and without a chance in hell of escaping him.

"Ahhh, I see that you've met my friends," he said, "Very obedient, aren't they? They're a lot like my own personal pets."

Nancy didn't reply.

Leland chuckled and held out the bag to her. It had a little blood on it and Nancy had a feeling that it wasn't food. "Do you remember when we were young?" he asked, "How you've always believed that Mayor Mars would forget her own head if it wasn't attached to her body?"

Nancy frowned, unsure of what he meant or was getting at. A part of her didn't want to know, but she asked him anyway. "Yeah?"

Leland tossed the bag to her. "Catch."

On reflex, Nancy caught the bag in both hands and it opened from the force of Leland's throw. She felt something heavy and wet and it rolled into her hands.

It was Rachel Mars' decapitated head.

Nancy's eyes widened and she screamed at the top of her lungs, flinging the head like a hot potato and staggering back so fast, she fell to the floor on her ass. Several of the rioters laughed wildly at her while Leland calmly bent down and scooped the head up into the bag again.

"You - You killed the mayor!" Nancy shrieked, hyperventilating, "Why - Why the FUCK did you do that?"

Leland smiled at her. "It was to understand the secret."

"WHAT FUCKING SECRET ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Nancy screamed, her body shaking horribly with fright.

"The Oro's secret," Leland answered, "Mayor Rachel Mars confided this in me before she ran out of breath." He made an amused sound in his throat. "I thought it best you should know what I was doing. After all, what can you do to stop me?"

"The Oro?" Nancy cried, "That's what you want? That's what this is all about?"

"I've toiled and waited long for the opportunity to become a part of something greater," Leland continued, "And I'm not about to stop now."

Nancy stood up, found her senses and shook her head pleadingly. "Leland, this is wrong."

He stared at her for a long time before heaving a sigh. "I had hoped since we've known one another as long as we have, you would see my way of thinking, but I can see that I was wrong." He reached into his back pocket and removed a small handgun, pointing it directly at Nancy.

Her heart felt like a heavy weight this time. He wanted to kill her; he wanted nothing more to do with her. She held out two hands. "Leland, wait, don't … "

"You will continue to get in my way," Leland told her, softly, "I cannot allow for anything, past or otherwise to stop me."

"Please, just listen…" Nancy begged.

"You know what your problem is?" Leland hissed, slowly starting to advance on her, "You continue to live in this fantasy world where everyone is really good, deep down inside. I'm afraid that isn't the case anymore. I told you to wake up, but it seems that you still think with that delusional mind of yours."

He was standing inches from her now, the gun barrel pressed dangerously into her belly. Nancy closed her eyes tightly and attempted to calm herself down before she opened them again and met his gaze, her eyes glossy and pained. It was now or never.

"Can I ask for one thing?" she asked.

Leland tilted his head to one side, deep in thought. "I suppose you can ask."

"You couldn't have done all of this on your own," Nancy said, "Someone had to help you get that equipment and the research documents."

Leland frowned at her. "And?"

"I know that it was someone in SCU," Nancy said, "Who was it?"

Leland shrugged his shoulders calmly. "Well, I suppose it won't do much harm in telling you," he said. He pretended to think. "Let's see, ah, I had help from a big man you're familiar with. He's got a bit of an attitude problem and let's see ... he's has difficulty keeping his big mouth shut."

Nancy's eyes widened. "Dorland?"

"Ding-ding, we have a winner!" Leland sneered.

"I-I don't understand!" Nancy gasped, horrified, "Why would he help you?"

Leland shook his head. "Well, you should have figured that out by now," he told her, "There's no more there. That's the end of the road. You don't need to - "

At that, Nancy moved swiftly, just as Ethan had taught her.

She smacked Leland's hand in a cross - chopping motion, knocking the gun out of his hands and into the air. Leland gave a shout of fury and as soon as she grabbed it, he grabbed her. His massive hand closed around her throat, but she still fought him for the weapon. Leland found that gripping her was like attempting to hold an armful of eels; Nancy would not hold still. She fell and dragged him with her and he immediately found the upper hand; grabbing her by the throat and forcing her into the floor. When she attempted to try and fight him off, he grabbed her wrists in one hand and pinned them over her head. He loomed over her, holding her legs down by pinning them with his own. He was too heavy and strong for her to break free.

"That … wasn't very smart of you, Nancy," he said, his voice filled with black ice, his eyes nearly glowing with murderous fury.

She winced and strained against him, trying to wriggle herself free but to no avail. He was just too strong. She looked up in horror when he pointed the gun directly at her.

"O - Okay, maybe it wasn't as intelligent as it could have been … " she stammered, terrified and watching the gleaming barrel leveled directly between her eyes, "B - But Leland, do you really want to kill me that bad?"

He pulled the hammer of the weapon back to prove his point.

"Oh shit … " Nancy gasped.

He grinned wickedly down at her. "Say goodnight … Morello … "

Nancy squeezed her eyes shut tight and looked away, unwilling to stare her death in the face. Suddenly, the sounds of gunfire filled the air and the rioters turned, just as several armed SCU agents poured into the bowling alley, firing off round after round at them, shredding through them like they were paper. Nancy's eyes popped open in disbelief at her sudden change of luck and Leland quickly rolled off of her. The two looked up at the carnage around them and quickly ducked in separate directions.

"Oh no, SKX!" one of the officers snarled at Leland, "You get that ass out here, right now!"

Leland chuckled dryly. "I will be with you in a second, officer!"

"RIGHT NOW!" the officer shouted.

Nancy looked at the SCU crew with dismay, poking her head out from behind an old cigarette dispenser. "You don't need to do that."

"Shut up!" the SCU officer snarled at her, "We've been fucking searching this whole goddamn city for you! I don't want to hear anyone telling me what to do."

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Leland was pulled roughly to his feet by two of the SCU officers and shoved harshly into the floor. He grunted slightly, but smiled anyway.

"Ah, that's the stuff!" he hissed, "Violence! Welcome to my kingdom!"

"Shut the fuck up." the officers spat.

Nancy watched as the SCU officers scooped Leland up by his arms and dragged him outside. She followed behind them as they led him onto a bus parked in front of the bowling alley.

"Wow, how did you guys find this place in time?" she asked. "I was almost hosed back there."

"It took some trouble, but Agent Rosa led us here," one of the officers told her. He watched Nancy's concerned expression as they carried Leland onto the bus in a particularly rough manner; one punched him in the stomach. The officer caught her flinching look and chuckled. "Hey, don't worry. We're the good guys here, not that sick fucker. He's going down for a long time."

Nancy sighed and shook her head as they walked onto the bus.

"So why doesn't it feel like that?" she mumbled, to herself.

She could see two of them talking on their radios and two others placing Leland into a small holding cell at the back of the bus. After a few moments of arguing with him, they left him alone and closed a gate behind them. He stared out from the window at her and smiled, waving with two fingers.

Nancy was confused by the smile. She watched as he breathed on the window, fogging the glass and began to write something in the fog. Nancy watched him silently as he did this all the while observing the SCU officers. When Leland had finished writing, she could read his message very clearly.

RUN.

Nancy was stunned by the message until the officers stepped out from the bus. One of them took her arm and it was a particularly tight. His voice wasn't as friendly with her as it was a few moments ago.

"Come on, Nancy," he said, "We've got orders to take you in too."

Nancy looked stunned. "What?" she cried. She wriggled in a fierce attempt to free herself from his grip. "Let me go! I said, let me the fuck go!"

She kicked the officer in the balls and he doubled over with a grunt of pain, holding himself. Nancy turned and ran down the alleyway, dodging a hailstorm of bullet fire.

"Just let her go!" the other officer snapped, "She's dead out there anyway!"

Leland watched her run away, chuckling quietly.

After a few hours had passed, Dorland arrived at the scene and stepped into the bus, opening the cage door and facing the murderer with a dark look. Leland's eyes narrowed venomously when he saw the man there.

"Do you mock me?" he spat, with hatred.

Dorland sighed and shook his head. "There's been a change of plans, Vanhorn," he said, "Know Ethan Thomas? Well, he was at your uncle's library today. Since you failed to kill him like I asked you to, then I can see that you're not fit for the Oro after all."

Leland glowered at him murderously. "We had a deal!"

"Well, I have a better one!" Dorland shouted, leering down at him. "When you don't live up to your end, things change."

"I am meant for the Oro!"

Dorland backhanded him across the face. Leland barely budged from the assault, but instead, glared up at him with hatred. "I'll make you pay for - "

Dorland backhanded him again without blinking. "Remember SKX, you're nothing but shit without us. You'll have to do better than threaten me or guess what? You'll never know the true power of the Oro ... EVER!"

Leland snarled at him as he stepped out of the bus. "I will hunt you," he promised, "I will skin you alive for this treachery!"


	10. Part Nine

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish. **  
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"_Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part Nine**

_Metro City_

_"But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil."_

-Proverbs 1:33

Rosa moved quickly through the hallways of the SCU building and hid herself inside her office. She carefully peeked out through the glass window of the door, watching several of Dorland's men talking down the hallways. Rosa slowly slid into her desk and was quiet for a few moments. The sound of her headset beeping startled her for a moment before she pressed it.

"Nancy? Nancy, where in the heck are you?" she whispered, fiercely.

Out in the streets, Nancy poked her head out from a garbage can and looked around warily for signs of enemies. The lid was balanced perfectly on her head. She pressed her headset.

"Rosa, I am in so much deep shit right now it's not even funny." she whispered, terror tightening her voice. "Things are really fucked up."

"_You're not the only one," _Rosa told her, _"The commissioner just arrived and said that they found SKX at the old Trenton Bowling Alley. They're holding him there until they can figure out what to do with him next. I don't understand why you need to figure out what to do with a madman … "_

Nancy sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know." She gave a gasp and ducked back down into the garbage can as someone raced by. When she was sure that they were gone, she continued speaking again from inside the can this time. "Rosa, I have to tell you something, but you have to swear that you won't say a word to Ethan until I get to him."

"_Okay. I swear." _

"It's about my boyfriend," Nancy continued, "The one that I thought was dead."

"_What about him?"_

"Well … he's … "

Suddenly, the garbage can opened and Nancy gave a cry, looking up into Ethan and LeRue's stunned faces. She swayed several times, losing her balance until she fell to the ground with the trash can. The loud sound practically bounced off of the city walls.

"Please do not tell me that's where you've been this whole fucking time!" Ethan spat, forcing her to stand. "Half the agency's been looking for you!"

Nancy sighed and held out two hands and kicked an old, crinkled newspaper from her ankle. She looked at them with a painful expression. "I have something really important that I have to tell you guys. You're not going to like it, though..."

"We ain't got time for this," LeRue told her, with a gentle shake of his head, "They're holding SKX in a bus at the bowling alley. We gotta get there right now before they take him to SCU."

Nancy glared at him fiercely. "You need to make time!"

Ethan and LeRue stared at her with surprise. They weren't expecting an outburst like that. They glanced at each other briefly before looking back at her.

"Okay, Nancy, spill your guts," LeRue said, evenly.

Nancy took a deep breath. "I've never told you guys any of this because I knew that it would only complicate matters during the SKX murders. But … " She looked at Ethan weakly. "The man that you shot in that trunk that day … He was my boyfriend."

Ethan frowned, not catching on immediately. "The man that I … " He slowly trailed off and his eyes widened in realization. "Wait … Not Leland Vanhorn."

Nancy nodded. "Mm - hm … "

"No. Not SKX. He's … HE'S YOUR FUCKING BOYFRIEND?"

Nancy nodded again and rolled her eyes at the loud tone of voice. "And this is exactly why I didn't want to say anything … "

They began yelling at once now.

- "You were fucking a serial killer?"

- "He wasn't always like that!"

- "Not just any serial killer; you were getting it with the biggest asshole there was!"

- "Fuck you!"

- "He already got to you first!"

- "Piss the fuck off, Ethan!"

LeRue was too stunned to even offer an input.

"Look! He wasn't always like this!" Nancy shouted, over Ethan's angry voice, "He was a good man once, just like any of those drug sniffing retards we have to resort to gunning down every fucking day! He's just got his head mixed in with some seriously messed up shit. I don't know how, when or why it's happened to him, but we can't just assume the worse! We just need to try and help him … "

Ethan laughed angrily and threw his hands in the air. "Dammit, Nancy, I heard that same twisted, fucked up shit from his uncle!" he shouted back at her, "And look at what happened to him!" He gestured to his own head. "You're fucked up! Malcolm said the same shit and hoped that he would change. Well I got news for you; he's wrong, moron! You can't fix this!"

LeRue chuckled dryly and held out two hands. "As much as I love talking about boyfriends and old times, we should really move on soon," he advised, "Those drug puppies will find their way here and I really don't want to deal with them anymore than I have to, you got it?"

Ethan glowered at Nancy one last time before they turned to go.

"Why wouldn't you tell me?" Ethan snapped.

Nancy stared at him skeptically after a long pause. "Why wouldn't I tell _you_?"

O

Nancy, Ethan, and LeRue took cover behind a rusted vehicle frame, observing the SCU officers who surrounded the bus armed with assault rifles. LeRue looked at Ethan.

"Alright, they're holding SKX in the bus," he told him, "You need to hurry before they take him to SCU. I'll draw the two agents away while you sneak in."

Ethan started to move, but Nancy grabbed his arm. "Don't even think about it!"

Ethan glared down at her. "I'm getting what I want to know out of him one way or another."

"That's your call," LeRue said, "But whatever you do, do it quietly."

Nancy laughed angrily. "Hey, do you know the part in scary movies when some dumb ass - like Ethan - does something really fucking retarded and we all hate him for it in the end? Well, here's that moment."

Ethan and LeRue smiled at her.

"It's all about the element of surprise, Miss Morello," LeRue told her, "We got this."

Inside the bus, Leland was watching this entire scene playing out with a bored expression on his face. He chuckled dryly and leaned his head back, listening to the sounds of the SCU officers fighting Ethan Thomas and the other man outside. The front of the cell gate flew open and Ethan surged inside. He glared down at him.

"Why did you kill your uncle?" he demanded.

Leland refused to look up at him, leaning his head to one side. He was still burning with hatred over Dorland's betrayal. "He … refused to cooperate," he answered, lowly and grudgingly, "He had it coming … "

Ethan got into his face now. "What about the mayor?" he snapped, giving Leland's shoulder a slight push, "Did you kill her for the same reason?"

Leland sighed and leaned his head back, exposing his facial wounds to Ethan. He watched the man stagger back with a mixture of disgust and horror.

"Jesus!" Ethan cried.

Leland smiled at him. "How's the finger?" he sneered, in a mocking voice, "Miss it?" He watched Ethan stare down at his left hand where his pointer finger was missing. "Do you think of me when you go to scratch?" He lowered his voice menacingly and bitterly. "I think of you every time I look in the mirror."

Ethan scowled and clenched a tight fist in Leland's face. "Answer my question, you sick bastard," he warned, "Or the fingers you left me will wrap around your neck!"

Nancy watched the scene from outside of the bus with a mixture of pain and doubt when Ethan grabbed Leland's neck in a grip that looked particularly tight. She tore her eyes away and looked at LeRue. "What do you think about all of this?" she asked.

LeRue laughed and shook his head, leaning his shoulder against the bus. "I think it's getting far too outta hand for my tastes."

Suddenly, the sounds of gunfire filled the air and the two quickly ducked out of sight to avoid being shot. Bullets clipped the metal of the bus and the two looked around for signs of the rioters; they could hear their wild laughter from the buildings, but they couldn't see them. They raced onto the bus.

"Mr. Thomas, we got trouble!" LeRue shouted, "We gotta go!"

Suddenly, Leland broke free from Ethan's hold, smashing him aside with both fists. It was all a blur of fists and curses as Leland grappled with LeRue who attempted to steer the bus away. Nancy was thrown into one of the benches and knocked out cold.

O

"Ow … Dammit … "

Ethan helped Nancy to her feet as she slowly regained consciousness. She looked up at him wearily and rubbed the back of her head, checking for blood.

"Shit, what the hell happened?" she asked.

Ethan scoffed. "Your dear old boyfriend happened!" he snapped, "He crashed the whole fucking bus into the bowling alley and he went and took off."

Nancy looked around dazedly, trying to get her senses back before she stepped out of the bus. LeRue was lying in a pile of rubbish, panting quietly, though he looked to be in pain.

"Shit! LeRue!" Ethan cried.

LeRue winced sharply and looked up at them. Without touching him or doing a thorough check, Nancy couldn't really tell where he was hurt, but she had an idea that it must have been his back and neck because LeRue couldn't seem to turn his head to look at them and it looked painful when he tried.

"SKX, go after him, hurry!" LeRue rasped, "I'll be okay…"

Nancy looked at Ethan and gestured for him to go. "Go, I'll take care of LeRue," she told him, "I feel partially responsible for this anyway…"

LeRue smiled weakly and waved that off with one weak flop of his hand. "Hey, don't sweat it, okay?"

Ethan nodded and raced into the bowling alley. Nancy slipped one of LeRue's arms around her shoulders and she struggled to get him on his feet. She helped him onto the bus and gently laid him onto one of the benches. LeRue winced and looked up at her as she attempted to start the bus.

"It ain't gonna budge," he groaned. "SKX drowned the engine."

"It's okay. I just need enough budge to get us out of this shit hole."

Nancy grabbed the keys in the ignition and struggled to turn the engine over. The lights of the bus dimmed in and out and the engine whined several times. Nancy groaned in frustration and gave the wheel a vicious kick. When she did, the engine sputtered before roaring to life. She smiled with pleasure.

"There now, ya' see?" she said.

She backed the bus up from its lodged in position and it jolted as it connected the streets once more. The gas was pouring out fast, but Nancy just needed enough to reach SCU and it wasn't very far. She tapped her headset and contacted Rosa.

"Hey, Rosa, you there?" she asked.

"_Yeah! I just got word from Ethan that LeRue is in bad shape! Where are you now?" _

Nancy winced as the SCU bus began to swerve a bit and she struggled to keep the giant vehicle straight. "En route for SCU, but I don't think they'll lay the welcome mat down for us. Can you meet us at the corner of Fremont and Northeast Fifty - Second?"

"_I'll get there as soon as I can!"_

"Copy that, make it quick," Nancy told her, "This bus won't hold out for much longer." She looked back at LeRue and smiled reassuringly. "Rosa's going to meet up with us; I'm going to get you some help."

LeRue winced sharply and tilted his head as much as he could to look at her. "Something tells me you're taking off somewhere," he said, "Where are you going?"

Nancy stared straight ahead and stopped the bus at the corners of the designated street. She paused for a moment before looking back at him. "I have something that I have to do."

Meanwhile, Ethan was trampling through the debris and garbage that plastered the floor of the bowling alley. Just as he stepped over a pile of broken trophies, a screaming man surged after him, his face bleeding and his tattered clothes covered dried blood. He swung a fist at him, but Ethan stepped to the side and avoided it. He brought a roundhouse that slammed right under the bum's ear. The bum squealed like a wounded animal and punched Ethan in the stomach. They moved clumsily through the rubbish, drooling saliva and blood, growing dizzier from every impact.

Ethan finally got his arms around his opponent's throat and twisted, snapping his neck.

The body hit the floor in a crumbled mass of legs and arms. Ethan quickly moved through the storage room and out into the second bowling alley. It was quiet here but not for long. There was a muffled voice behind him.

"I know who you lookin' for!"

The voice was cheerful and eerie. Ethan whirled and noticed one of the bums in the speaker room, broadcasting through a microphone. "I know who you lookin' for!" the bum said, giggling, "He went that way! He went that way!"

Ethan watched as the bum pointed in the direction of a bowling lane where light was shining through from the other side where the pins were usually positioned. It was big enough for a guy like SKX to fit through. Rosa piped up again.

_"It's probably no coincidence SKX was captured near the bowling alley,"_ she said, _"This must be his base of operation."_

Ethan nodded his head and bent down to squeeze his way through the lane. "Yeah, but why is it no one's ever noticed it before?" he asked.

_"Maybe they never thought to look,"_ Rosa pointed out, _"We believed him to be dead for a while now."_

Ethan frowned. "Yeah ... maybe that's it. But I don't know ... There seems to be more to it than that."

_"Well, regardless ... " _Rosa said, _"You have to find him."_

O

Ethan was surprised to find that SKX was still using the school as well for his little sick experiments. It was amazing to think that after all this time, he was using both the school and the bowling alley as his base.

"Shit!" Ethan said, taking out his camera and taking several shots of the various torture devices.

Just as he started to continue on his way, he noticed the SCU documents lying on the tables. After a moment of reading through them quickly, his eyes narrowed and fury clouded his vision once everything began to add up.

"That son of a bitch!" he spat.

A low moaning sound reached Ethan's ears and he looked toward the door curiously. He walked through it and remembered that it would lead to the gym but not before passing through the cafeteria where he had to fight that chef. The kitchen was still as disgusting as he remembered it, but instead there was fresh blood sprayed all over the walls and bottles of champagne littering the floor. He couldn't believe that SKX liked that sissy crap.

"Sick ... " he groaned, covering his mouth against the horrible smell.

"Ethan ... "

He reacted at the weakly groaned name and turned toward the open refrigerator. He didn't move for the longest time because memories came flashing back to that year ago when he was attacked in there. After a moment of shaking it away, he walked into the fridge and found Farrell lying on a table strapped down with leather straps. His chest had been cut open in an X shape and he was breathing slightly. His eyes fluttered a few times, but Ethan could have sworn that he was dead.

"Rosa, I've located Farrell." Ethan said, tapping his headset.

"_Really? Is he hurt? What's his condition?" _Rosa asked.

"He's alive, but cut up pretty badly," Ethan told her.

Suddenly, Farrell's eyes opened and focused on Ethan with shock. "Ethan! SKX is studying me ... same as he did with the others ... " he rasped, his voice bursting out of him like a powerful wind, "Help me. Cut these straps loose so I can get out."

Ethan contemplated not doing it, but Farrell couldn't just die by that bastard. He sighed and shook his head.

"He's experimenting on the homeless ... testing ... perfecting," Farrell continued, "Hurry. They know you're here!"

Ethan rolled his eyes and grabbed one of the straps. He attempted to pull it loose, but it only seemed to tighten harder into Farrell's body. He winced sharply with pain and looked up at Ethan weakly, shaking his head.

"Find something sharp!" he gasped, "He tied them too tight!"

Ethan sighed. "You owe me big for this, Farrell." he snapped, "I haven't forgotten what you did to me back at the hotel."

Farrell weakly laughed. "I know ... "

Ethan looked around for something sharp to cut the straps with, and that's when he saw her; the lunch lady lying in a corner with a meat cleaver buried into her skull. He reacted only the slightest at the sight of her corpse, but grabbed the cleaver with a sick wet sound and walked back up to Farrell's bound form. He sliced through the leather with the cleaver a few times before they snapped. Farrell climbed into a sitting position and fell to the floor. After a few moments, he managed to stand.

"SKX is delusional and psychotic, just like his test subjects," he snapped, following Ethan out of the fridge, "Let's move cautiously."

Ethan nodded and the two slowly walked around the cafeteria and toward another door. When they did, the door flew open and a bum screamed after them. Ethan rolled his eyes and stood in a position, grabbing the bum by the arm and flipping him onto the floor. Farrell looked down at him as he punched the bum out with a single blow of his fist.

"Nicely done, Mister Thomas," he said, "Brutish, but still nicely done."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "I don't need your approval, Farrell."

As they continued down a hallway toward the gym, Ethan suddenly raised a hand in front of Farrell at the sounds of fighting up ahead. Farrell looked at him questionably and Ethan frowned. He had a feeling that it wasn't going to be as easy to escape has he had thought.

"Wait here."

Farrell didn't argue. He stayed in the hallways while Ethan walked up the broken stairway to the next floor. Being familiar with the school, he would be able to know if anyone was hiding in any areas. When he stepped into the gym, he was stunned to see that most of it had been completely altered and renovated in the form of a fighting arena. He could even see two bums in the middle of a brutal fist fight below.

"Holy shit!" he gasped, walking toward the edge, "This is fucking insane!"

Behind him, one of the bums approached and just before he could turn and retaliate, the bum shoved him hard. Ethan lost his balance and fell backwards, right over the edge, falling to the floor hard, stomach first. Pain instantly shot through his head, but he immediately recovered, just as another bum came charging right at him. Ethan braced for the impact and was knocked off of his feet; his opponent landing right on top of him. They grappled through the bloody rubbish, trying to overcome one another. Behind the fence, the other maniacs screamed at them, shaking their fists.

Ethan and the bum wrestled desperately, and Ethan flipped his attacker. He started reining punches to his face. The bum landed a couple of blows to Ethan's stomach, but it was like punching a brick wall. Pain exploded through his hand, tiny splatters of blood raining down on his face. The crowd cheered maniacally at the messy scene before them. Ethan began bashing his opponent's head into the floor over and over again.

Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot pierced through the air and everything died down into silence. Ethan looked up and noticed Dorland standing over the edge of the fence, pointing his gun directly at a terrified Farrell.

"Disgusting creatures, wouldn't you agree, Mister Thomas?" Dorland sneered.

Ethan punched the bum out before standing. "The two - faced rat himself ... "

"You still haven't grasped the situation, have you?" Dorland snapped, "Farrell's your executioner. He isn't worthy of your loyalty!"

Leland watched the scene from the shadows, intrigued with learning what could happen to Ethan now.

"Don't do this Dorland!" Farrell cried, "He belongs with us! You're a fool if you don't see that!"

Ethan scoffed in disbelief and shook his head. "When did the SCU employ murderers?"

Dorland glared down at him coldly. "I take orders from the Oro, and so should he," he snapped. He gave Farrell a cold look. "Isn't that right?"

Before he could protest, Dorland pushed him over the edge of the fence and into the arena with Ethan. Farrell landed hard with a sharp cry of pain and struggled in a crouching position, looking back at Dorland desperately.

"Get up!" Dorland commanded, "Finish the job. Kill him before he ruins everything!"

"No!" Farrell shouted.

"Do it; remember who you are!"

Farrell took a few moments to catch his breath before he stared up at Ethan with pain. "I've risked everything..." He straightened and reached his arms out at Ethan as if he was going to hug him, which was strange. "Find the Voice!"

Before Ethan knew it, his head felt like he was submerged in icy cold water, and then, a tremendous rushing sensation; like the first time he had ever had a drink of whiskey. He felt something building, crawling up through his chest like a powerful force. Whatever it was, he had to let it out. He tried to scream and when he did, he screamed at Farrell. Something happened that he didn't expect. One minute Farrell was standing there and the next, his head burst like a cherry. From his hiding spot, Leland watched the scene with shock.

Ethan stared down at Farrell in mute disbelief as his body thumped to the floor. He took a moment to try and recollect what had happened, but there was no time for that. He looked up at an SCU officer was approaching him with his rifle aimed at his chest. Ethan took a few cautious steps back and the officer advanced slowly. Just then, there was a wet smacking sound and the officer's eyes went wide. Ethan watched him with confusion and when his body hit the floor, Leland was standing behind him, holding his bloody knife.

For the moment, the two stared each other down. Finally, Leland did something that Ethan wasn't expecting.

"Come on!" Leland ordered, turning and sprinting the way he had come.

Ethan didn't have time to think about it because two other SCU officers were already opening fire on him from above. He followed Leland down a long passage filled with electrified fence before he emerged into the bowling alley once more. He ducked at the side of the door and gestured for Ethan to do the same on the other side.

"Over there." he ordered again.

Not really wanting to argue because of certain cirumstances, Ethan did as he said and frowned at him. After a few moments, the two SCU officers burst through the door and Leland moved quick; he sliced the knife across one officer's throat and plunged his knife into the head of the other before he could react. Ethan watched the scene with amazement. No sooner had he killed them all quick, he whirled on Ethan and quickly darted into his face, poising the knife at his throat.

Ethan coughed when he felt the blade near to piercing the flesh. He met Leland's empty eyes. "What's this about?" he demanded, "I thought you were on their side!"

"Shut up!" Leland spat, venomously. He tilted his head and grinned at him. "Think of this as a future investment."

Ethan stared back at him in disbelief. What the hell was he supposed to make that out of?

"Oh yes," Leland continued grinning with wicked delight, leaning forward, "I look forward to cutting you open ... " His eyes wandered over Ethan's body like a hungry predator. " ... learn your little secret." The sounds of sirens cut him off momentarily. He looked over his shoulder for the moment before looking back at Ethan. "But now's not the time."

He parted from the man and started to go for the two front doors. He noticed the gaping hole where the bus used to be and chuckled coldly, ignoring Ethan for the moment as he contacted that woman back at his headquarters.

"She is persistent ... " he mused.


	11. Part Ten

**Gehenna**

**Disclaimer: **The very first Condemned fanfiction I have ever written! This one was inspired by replaying the first game and it carries on through the second. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Please read and review if you so wish. **  
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"_Murder is not the crime of criminals, but that of law-abiding citizens."_

-Emmanuel Teney

_I wish that I could write you a melody so plain that would save your dear lady from going insane._

-Bob Dylan

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

**Part Ten**

_Metro City_

"_As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins."_

-Ephesians 2:1

Svenson's Magic Theater was empty.

Nancy remembered coming here a long time ago with the Boyd's when she had gotten good grades on her report cards. The Magic Man he was called; he had performed a fantastic show for the children there and she remembered being amazed by his shows. Now, he still put on shows, but this time, his act was a little different; it was sadistic and terrifying.

Despite all of that, Nancy had to find him soon. He had to know that his life was in danger.

When she entered the theater, she found lifeless bodies of women lying on the floors of the theater; they were dressed in skimpy leotards with fishnet stockings and skin - tight suits. Their top hats were lying scattered to the floor, covered in blood. She was pretty sure that they were dead because neither one of them were breathing. Nancy stepped away from them and entered the auditorium.

"Good evening … "

Nancy turned and there he was; the Magic Man sitting in one of the rows of chairs on the balcony. He had his legs crossed and a glass of liquor in one hand. He smiled down at her and his beady little eyes seemed to light up. He tipped his hat to her once before taking another drink.

"Magic Man, I have to talk to you," Nancy said, "It's important."

He seemed to ignore her for a brief moment before he disappeared right from her eyes in a puff of smoke. Nancy whirled, surprised when he reappeared again beside her in the same fashion. He chuckled softly at her astounded expression.

"A Morello has entered my home," he said, smiling, "To what do I owe such an honor?"

Nancy furrowed her brow, not really concerned by the fact that he knew her name; she was more concerned for his safety above everything else. "Sir, I don't think that we've ever met personally before," she pointed out, "I just have to warn you … "

The Magic Man smiled and shook one finger at her. "Oh, I remember you quite well, my dear," he told her, "I've seen many children come to my shows a long time ago, but you I can vividly remember. Such a sad-eyed little creature, you were." He spoke his next words with a slow resonance, almost as if he was trying to get her to remember as well. "Sitting in the front row … Eyes full of shadow … Deep, green pools of pure darkness … To think of it … A child with such eyes … "

Nancy glanced over her shoulder briefly before she looked at him again. "Please, you have to listen to me!" she insisted, "Someone is coming and I think that he wants to kill you!"

The Magic Man knotted his brow, somewhat startled by the warning. "I beg your pardon?"

"Yes!" Nancy continued, "Though I don't know when, he had you listed on a list of names of his targets. You have to get out of here!"

The Magic Man smiled at her now, almost as if he was content with the news. "Ah Nancy, first principles," he told her, "What is it in itself? What is its nature? What does he do, this man who is taking the lives of them? This man who you claim wants to kill me?"

Nancy shrugged her shoulders, unsure of the point he was trying to make. "He kills people involved with the Oro as far as he's told me."

The Magic Man shook his head and held up a finger, grinning broadly. "No! No, no, no. That is incidental. What is the first and principal thing he does? What needs does he serve by killing?"

Nancy collected her thoughts and shook her head. She tried to think of why Leland would want to kill off the Oro members but it wasn't really known. "Uh … maybe anger, um, social acceptance … maybe … "

The Magic Man smiled and shook his head again. "No! He covets, Nancy," he told her, "That is his nature. And how do we begin to covet, my dear? Do we seek out things to covet?"

"Um … No. We … "

"No. We begin by coveting what we see every day," he continued, leaning closer to her now, "Don't you feel eyes moving over your body, Nancy? And don't your eyes seek out the things you want?"

Nancy frowned at him; he was standing awfully close to her this time. His breath was lightly fluttering her hair around her face. It was a gesture far too intimate for her tastes. She took a step back from him. He seemed to realize his error in approach and stepped back as well, a look of embarrassment on his face.

"Forgive me," he said, "You are just like him, you know; the same eyes, the same spirit. He too wanted to save the entire city, but he failed." He chuckled quietly at her perplexed expression. "You know, I think it would be quite something to know you in a private life."

Nancy shook her head at that. She didn't know how to take it, but nonetheless, she couldn't resist a smile at that peculiar compliment. The Magic Man gestured for her to follow him and he looked excited this time.

"Come with me! I must show you something!" he insisted. When she didn't budge, he gestured with a little more force. "Come on, then!"

Nancy followed him cautiously behind the curtains into a dressing room where he had piles of books stashed into a corner, several documents and papers regarding the Oro and symbols painted on the wall of many eyes. The room looked atrocious and the Magic Man smiled apologetically.

"Oh dear, forgive the mess," he said, "Sometimes I forget about it." He picked up a heavy, thick book and placed it onto a table in front of her. "This ... is the guide to the legend of the Voice. Some say that it was a bedtime story to them, a myth, but his identity is proven otherwise." He opened the book and Nancy noticed that the words were written in a different language.

"What language is it?" she asked.

"Italian," The Magic Man said, "The language of your people. Can you read it?"

She gave him a look. "No. I was born half Italian, but raised by Americans. I can't read any of it."

The Magic Man smiled and shook his head. "Oh! That's okay!" he said, "It speaks of the Voice. It says ... " He skimmed his hands down the pages, passing the ancient images and drawings. The Voice looked like a powerful soldier resonating sonic waves through his body. "It discusses the power of this magnificent being! Oh, and this is what the Oro fears!"

Nancy shrugged. "That their power doesn't compare to this guy's?"

"Exactly!" The Magic Man said, grinning excitedly, "You see, the Voice's body is perfectly tuned to the power at birth! The sounds that he emits are great enough to shatter flesh and bone into nothing!"

Nancy frowned. It sounded insane to her. "But what does that have to do with me?" she asked.

The Magic Man grinned broadly and turned the page. Now, there was an image of a robed figure holding a gnarled staff standing beside the Voice who knelt before him. Nancy furrowed her brow at the scene.

"Is he kneeling?" she asked.

"A common misconception," the Magic Man Said, "In fact, the Voice is coming to this figure for guidance. The Voice seeks out Publius Vergilius Maro ... The Eyes, the Guide." He looked at her with a strange reverence. " ... You."

Nancy laughed in disbelief. "What?"

"Nancy, your place is to guide the Voice - The man known as Ethan Thomas - to his fate," the Magic Man explained, "These incestuous fools didn't consider you to be much of a threat at first. But when you reached the critical age, you were capable of seeing through the eyes of man. That is the gift of the Eyes! To see what cannot be seen! To guide the Voice through his own hell so that he may find his Paradise!"

"You're insane!" Nancy spat, storming out of the room, "I'm walking back into the real world now!"

The Magic Man pursued her. "Nancy, listen to me!" he insisted, rushing onto the stage and stopping her, "You were born with a gift just as he was! Your eyes see things that no other man can see! Your eyes pierce through the darkest of lies!"

Nancy glared at him, but she did stop walking away. "And how do you know that?"

"_Facilis descensus Averni_," the Magic Man phrased, ""Easy is the descent to hell'. That is what they called your kind in the Oro. Madness ... The Vision of Madness. They say that so many secrets could eventually drive them mad! It almost gripped your father. But he was willing to sacrifice it all to stop what they wanted to do to you!"

Then, a loud crashing sound filled the air from outside the auditorium. Nancy and the Magic Man looked back and he leaned forward.

"Do you hear?" he whispered, "You're not alone!" He gestured for her to hide behind the rotating knife wheel. "Take cover. I will handle this madman."

Nancy quickly did as he said and ducked behind a wooden wheel that was soaked in blood. She peeked through a hole in the wood and noticed that Leland was stepping into the auditorium. The Magic Man gave Nancy a quick, sideways glance and smiled with an eerie, assuring smile before he looked up calmly at his murderer. Nancy had no idea what he was up to, but she hoped that he would be okay.

"Who was here just now?" Leland asked.

The Magic Man shook his head. "Oh, it was no one, my dear boy; just I." He chuckled. "I find that sometimes it helps to speak your own thoughts aloud, that way you can free your mind from congestion."

Leland smiled coldly and leveled his hunting knife in the Magic Man's direction. "Don't toy with me, Doctor Sebastian. I know your little games."

The Magic Man laughed loudly with mirth. "Ahhh, so you actually remembered my name this time! Most children often forget…"

Doctor Sebastian? Nancy had never done many reports on the Magic Man so she never knew that he had been a doctor at one point in his life. It was strange to see such a man with such a position fall to this state of mind and appearance because a doctor usually paid very well. It just showed and proved that Tony Rhodes had been correct when he said that "most had left their well - paying jobs". The Magic Man must have been one of them.

"You want to learn about the Oro, don't you?" the Magic Man asked, smiling continuously, "Well, I cannot say that they are good for you, my boy. Your mental state of mind cannot grasp the severity of their power!"

Leland seemed bored with the words and took a menacing step forward. "Perhaps I can find a way to change your mind … "

The Magic Man didn't seem as frightened as Nancy would have thought. Instead, he just smiled calmly and shook his head.

"Leland Vanhorn, age 8," he quoted, "Arrived in my office for psychiatric evaluation on the 14th, of April due to possible paranoid behavior and fits of delusions; possibly a personality disorder which spawned shortly after the death of your parents. Your behavior also seemed rooted to you deep-seated fascination with pain and your frustrations with your uncle when he failed to live up to your expectations as a parental figure. You also suffered from sexual frustrations and lack of physical contact with Nancy Morello after you recovered from your would-be fatal gunshot to the face. This tragic accident caused you to covet what others had! Others like Rachel Mars! Your uncle … "

Leland's eyes narrowed. "Shut your mouth!"

"Am I wrong, Leland?" the Magic Man asked, still smiling.

Leland snarled at him and started to advance, but Nancy quickly stepped out from her hiding spot and shot two hands out into the air.

"Leland, don't do it!" she shouted.

He glared at her coldly and froze in place. "Nancy … "

The Magic Man chuckled softly at the scene, clasping his hands together. "Ahhh, now isn't this quite the reunion!" he said, "Everyone together in one place."

Leland narrowed his eyes at Nancy. "I warned you what would happen, Nancy…" he whispered, and his voice was as cold as ice, "Step away."

Nancy shook her head. "No. I can't let this continue to happen."

"Don't be foolish, child," the Magic Man told her, "I understand Leland Vanhorn all too well. A troubled, crazed little youth he was. Just step down and let me handle this."

Nancy turned to him. "Look, I have to set things right," she said, "I can't let anyone else die because of this man's twisted desires. I have to try and-"

"Hey, Nancy!" Leland suddenly hissed.

Nancy turned to face the murderous man. Suddenly, a wet smack filled the air and Nancy's eyes grew wide. The look of shock on her face was replaced by a limp and pained grimace. She was frozen there for two seconds, her body lurching slightly forward. The Magic Man's eyes widened as well, but his were in total disbelief and horror. Nancy gave a weak groan and blood began to trickle down her chin from her slightly parted lips.

"Oh God … " the Magic Man gasped, horrified, "What have you done, Leland?"

Nancy stared down in mute horror at the knife embedded deep into her stomach. She slowly looked up weakly at Leland, who stared back at her with an empty scowl. She grabbed a hold of him tightly and felt her entire body slowly going into shock.

"No … Don't, don't, don't … " she gasped in a light, airy whisper, blood trickling down her chin, "Don't do this. Don't do this … "

Leland twisted the knife deeper into her stomach and her eyes snapped wide with a 'hurk' sound to follow. She held onto him tightly, her lips close to his ear and pleaded.

"Leland…you're killing me…" she panted, weakly, "Why are you killing me? Why?"

Nancy's grip on him loosened and she collapsed to the floor, her abdomen soaked with blood. He stared down at her and sighed heavily, shaking his head.

"You had to do it, didn't you, Nancy?" he said, softly, "Stand against me. I was going to cut you a little break considering everything, but you had to play the 'good guy', just like my uncle. I had considered making it fast, but then you go and do something like this. Now look at you, 'hero'! You're going to bleed to death!" Nancy coughed blood from the side of her mouth. Leland did not budge from that. "I told you that I'd stop at nothing to find them. And you were a means to an end … "

Nancy suddenly started laughing. Leland frowned at her. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded.

"I'm expecting company…" Nancy hissed, grinning through her blood - stained teeth.

She laughed again and Leland grabbed her head, forcing it to the side where he noticed the headset in her ear. There was a stream of voices filtering through it; it was SCU officials.

Leland snarled down at her. "Little bitch!"

Nancy laughed again, her voice gurgling out her words. "Run, rat face, run!"

And Leland did just that without question, turning and sprinting down the auditorium and out through the double doors to avoid the SCU agents. Nancy watched him go as her vision began to dim and darken. She smiled weakly and rested her head to the floor.

"Run…" she whispered.

As various SCU armed officers rushed into the theater, shouting out orders and curses, the Magic Man vanished in a puff of smoke and the men circled around Nancy's body. She just stared up emptily as they attempted to survey the damages and call for help. The demon stared down at her from over her head, tilting its own.

"_Hey sleepyhead, it's time,"_ the creature said.

Nancy smiled peacefully and her eyes slowly began to close.

_As I was lying there, bleeding my life away, I remembered what my mother used to tell me. "All you need is love and to believe in yourself." Heh. Nice idea. Too bad it didn't exactly work out that way. But I guess it was better to hear a flat-out lie than to know the truth._

O

Ethan strolled through the hospital hallways, passing several surprised and confounded office workers. He ignored them and entered a waiting room where Rosa was standing. She smiled with relief when she saw him.

"Ethan, thank God you're here!" she said, "It's Nancy!"

Ethan furrowed his brow. "Where is she?"

Rosa gestured for him to follow her. "She's in room 141," she told him, "She's not saying anything." She moaned softly and shook her head. "When they found her and brought her here, she was barely alive."

They entered the room and found Nancy lying in bed, her eyes closed. She was wearing a CPAP mask over her face and her vitals were moving at a steady, gentle pace. She was also wearing a hospital gown and a heavy bandage where Leland had stabbed her.

Ethan rubbed the bridge of his nose and heaved a sigh. "Shit, how long ago?" he asked.

"Four hours … " Rosa told him, sadly, "She suffered a knife wound to the lower torso area; luckily our killer didn't catch her vital organs. She nearly suffered from massive blood loss when they brought her here."

Ethan sighed and shook his head with pity. "Goddamn it, Nancy…"

Rosa nodded. "Yes. We believe it was from SKX."

"So he finally got her, huh?" Ethan muttered, shaking his head again. "I tried to warn her that guy was fucked up. She wouldn't hear it."

Rosa walked across the room to a suitcase resting on a small end table. She opened it up and removed a sealed envelope. She handed it to Ethan and he frowned, studying the front of it. It had his name and a date written on it. He turned it over and noticed a strange symbol written on the back.

"What's this?" he asked.

"I don't know," Rosa replied, "Nancy had it in her locker. It looks like she had just written it today too. I managed to grab everything before they cleaned it out. I guess they thought that she wouldn't pull through. It's something that she wanted to give to you."

"Shouldn't we ask her when she wakes up?" Ethan asked.

"She needs rest, Ethan," Rosa chided, gently, "She's in no condition to be interrogated right now. Just read what it says."

Ethan ripped the side of the envelope open and pulled out a crumbled piece of paper. He unraveled it and his eyes quickly scanned over the sentences scribbled onto it.

"What does it say?" Rosa asked.

"It says," Ethan began, "'Ethan, they are inside the city. At its very HEART. But to find them, you have to go through the KIng of heLL's ZerO NoticE." He frowned. "What the hell is she talking about?"

Rosa frowned thoughtfully. "It's a hidden message, so she means, the Kill Zone. The only thing that I can think of that is in regards to is the downtown area. There's a gang boss there who calls himself Kill Zone. He moved into the city hall after the local authorities failed to recapture it from the rioters. He might know something about it."

Ethan laughed softly. "I'll be damned. She knew something."

Rosa smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We have a lead, Ethan. It's up to us now. Hopefully it'll bring us one step closer to ending this."

Ethan already liked the sound of that.

Meanwhile, Inferi was strolling through the streets and entered into the city hall where dead police officers were laying on the steps. He whistled a cheerful tune to himself as he entered the darkened building, passing several corpses of dead officers hanging by their legs from the ceiling. He stepped over one to continue on his way. They were already dead when they tried to take back the city hall. They hadn't stood a single chance in stopping them.

Inferi smiled into the shadows, noticing the Sonic Oro lingering about, their eyes glowing white and their teeth scratching against their metal implants. He passed them with a quick, casual wave and began to descend a flight of stairs. There was a heavy metal door at the lowest point covered in markings and symbols of the Oro. He knew that only members could pass through here. Anyone else stupid enough to sneak a peek ended up with two screws in their head.

Inferi entered the dark, barely lit room and now stood before a man cloaked in shadow that was standing beside an enormous, glass window. Its designs were of a tormented woman with metal pieces being wedged into her body by a metallic, winged angel. Inferi had to admit, his boss sure had some fucked up taste in artwork. His features were difficult to see in the shadows, but a dim light revealed a massive jaw plate, metal protrusions and long fingernails which when the figure moved, revealed the hands to be pure metallic claws.

"_Lei è stato seguito? _(Were you followed?)"the figure rasped, in a horrible voice that sounded like two people were speaking through him.

Inferi smiled and shook his head. "_Neanche l'il più leggero. Rinunciano._ (Not even the slightest. They're giving up.)"

A soft murmuring sound burst from the shadowed figure, like pieces of metal rubbing together. Whenever he talked, it sounded like the implants in his face clicked out each word rather than him speaking them. "_Ciò che della Voce? _(What about the Voice?)"

Inferi nodded. "_Il Rimedio cammina tuttavia fra noi, ma non sarà una minaccia. Così lungo poiché non realizza ancora il suo vero potere. _(The Remedy still walks among us, but he won't be a threat. So long as he does not yet realize his true power.)"

A dry chuckle emerged from the shadow's lips. He squeaked out his next words in a painful manner. "_Ciò che degli Occhi?_ (What about the Eyes?)"

"_Fuori da della loro vista, per ora. Non sospettano che mi era._ (Out of their sight, for now. They don't suspect that it was me.)"

Another laugh from the shadow, but not one that was amused and almost intrigued. "_Senza gli Occhi di guidare la Voce, avrà la difficoltà che trova l'Una Verità. Possiamo iniziare la fase due del progetto._ (Without the Eyes to guide the Voice, he will have difficulty finding the One Truth. We can begin phase two of the plan.)"

Inferi grinned at that. "_La fase due?_ (Phase two?)"

The shadow stood tall, a dark and frightening angel. "_Sì ... il Risveglio _... (Yes … the Awakening … )"

THE END


End file.
